


Never Alone

by CALLEN37, Gina Callen (CALLEN37)



Category: NCIS
Genre: Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Family, Gen, Head Injury, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-28
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-01-21 04:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1537391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/CALLEN37, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/Gina%20Callen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Where were you? Tim McGee, fights his head injury and his feelings to dispel his notion that he is always alone and not important to the team, will they be able to convince him in time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tim walked into the hospital with Ducky, he had promised Gibbs he'd get his head looked at, the skull fracture he had suffered was giving him the worst headache he'd had in years.

Ducky sat beside his bed as the doctor talked with him about the results of the x-ray, Tim zoned out he didn't want to know.

"You need to have someone keep an eye on you for 48 hours." Ducky said.

Tim nodded absently.

"Do you have someone?" Ducky asked.

Tim shrugged, "Don't think so, thought I did, but nope…not me…all alone…forever alone, not wanted, not needed, just a drone." Tim babbled as the painkillers from the hospital took effect.

"Maybe I should call Jethro?" Ducky thought aloud.

"Why?" Tim asked, "He doesn't care…not unless he needs me to fix his email, I'm not important to the team Ducky." Tim turned and looked out of the window at the Washington night sky.

"Nonsense my boy, you are very important to the team."

"Only because they need me to work their computers, if I were that important Ducky they'd be here."

Ducky looked around, he had to admit, when one of the group were hurt or injured they did tend to rally around, but then DiNozzo's father was…well Senior, Bishop…she had her family he supposed, but she was too new and hadn't actually been injured yet for him to make an assessment of her, Abby was adopted and Gibbs did tend to make sure he was there for her, Ziva…she had needed Gibbs' steady hand and guidance, before she had decided to forge a new path for herself, but Tim…?

Tim had always been quiet and unassuming, he had met his sister and grandmother through cases, both seemed to love him dearly, his father had been a bit abrasive and Tim hadn't talked about him in a long while. But he was surprised by what Tim had said in the elevator when they had left NCIS.

"McGee?" Gibbs had called as Tim and Ducky walked to the elevator, "Who's your Next of Kin? I can call them for you." he had offered.

"Don't bother Boss, I don't have one." Tim had said sadly as the doors closed.

Ducky had looked at the forlorn face of his friend as the doors shut, his injury making it hard to hide his pain.

"Timothy?" He said looking over at his friend.

"Not now Ducky." Tim said staring intently as the buttons on the elevator lit up and went out on each floor, as soon as the door had opened Tim had walked towards Ducky's car.

"Do you want me to call anyone?" he asked.

Tim climbed into the passenger seat. "No one to call." He said.

Tim sat on the bed waiting for his discharge letter as Ducky started to fall asleep.

Tim stretched feeling better as the painkillers took effect.

He looked around, why was he here? Delilah was upstairs, she had been injured in the blast and she needed him.

He quietly got off the bed and walked out of the ER heading up to the third floor where he knew she was.

As the door to the elevator closed Ducky woke up.

"Timothy?" he called, he stood up and walked outside their cubicle looking for a nurse. "Excuse me have you seen Agent McGee, he was in with a head injury, he was in yesterday's bombing." Ducky informed the nurse.

"I think he was heading up to the third floor to see Ms. Felding." She said, she had been in the ER when Delilah had been brought in and had been touched by his concern towards the young woman and his determination to be there for her.

Ducky nodded and grabbed his phone. "Jethro, I believe young Timothy may be in need of your presence." He said and not waiting for an answer mimicked the calls recipient and hung up on him.

* * *

Gibbs sat at his desk and looked concerned, he'd just finished making a few phone calls none of which had him feeling any better about the situation.

He had called Sarah McGee, who on realizing who it was hung up on him, twice. Then he called Penny Langston who had informed him that unless her grandson was dying they were not going to contact him, but wouldn't elaborate as to why and then she too hung up on him.

He had tried calling John McGee's number only to find it was out of service.

Then Ducky had called and told him that Tim needed him and he too had hung up on him.

"Anything wrong Boss?" Tony asked.

"Heading to the hospital DiNozzo, you keep on with Bishop, we have to locate Parsa." He said and headed out.

"Tim's ok though?" Tony asked worried for his friend.

"As far as I know." Gibbs replied.

"Did you get a hold of his family?" Tony asked.

"No." Gibbs said not wanting to tell him what he knew and breathed a sigh of relief as the doors opened and he stepped inside.

Tony watched as Gibbs went and then turned his attention to Bishop and the hunt for Benham Parsa.

* * *

Tim stepped off the elevator and headed to Delilah's room. Her father and mother were in the room with her; she'd just got back from a second round of emergency surgery and was still unconscious.

Tim stepped inside the room, he didn't say anything as Delilah's mother was crying softly, but her father stood up and glowered at Tim.

"You have a nerve being here." He growled.

"I just wanted to see if she was alright." Tim said quietly not wanting to wake her.

Mr. Felding grabbed Tim's arm and yanked him out of the room.

"My baby girl is lying there, she'll probably never walk again and you're wondering around this hospital with hardly a scratch because you left her in there."

"I didn't mean…" Tim started and lights flashed behind his eyes as Delilah's father slammed him up against the wall.

"You didn't what, you didn't mean for my baby girl to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair…Go away, leave her alone, you've already caused her enough pain, this is all your fault, you could have spared her, you had a call warning you, she told us, you knew, you could have gotten her out, you're a waste of space McGee…GET OUT OF HERE!" he yelled.

Tim not seeing clearly stumbled back and landed on his ass looking at the angry looking man.

Stan Felding pulled back his fist ready to hit him as an orderly stepped up. "Sir, this is not the place for this, your daughter needs you."

Stan turned back and walked into his daughter's room. Before he closed the door he turned, "You come near her again McGee and I'll make you wish you were never born, she's not to see you again." He said.

Tim got up, tears of rage, frustration, and pain stung his eyes.

He walked blindly to the elevator and punched the buttons blindly.

"Sir?" the orderly walked towards him.

"I'm going already." Tim snapped, he turned not wanting to talk to the orderly and he headed for the stairs.

"But…Sir?!" the orderly called again, he had to stop as the door to the stairwell slammed shut and he was called back to the desk.

* * *

Gibbs and Ducky walked off the elevator and looked into Delilah's room, Mr. and Mrs. Felding were there but there was no sign of Tim.

"Excuse me?" Ducky said, "I'm looking for Delilah's boyfriend, Timothy McGee?"

"That…." Stan stood up, "That man is not my daughter's boyfriend, he left her to die in that center while he took a phone call…I'll tell you what I told him, he is not welcome here, my daughter will be better off without him."

"Tim?" Delilah said as she came round.

Stan turned his attention to his little girl, "It's ok baby, I made him go away,"

"No…you can't you don't understand, I'm all he has…daddy, he needs me…please…" Delilah fell asleep again.

"You're wearing her out, please…leave." He said as his wife held tightly to their daughter hand, listening to the reassuring beep of the machines.

* * *

Tim walked blindly up the stairs, he blinked in confusion as he opened the door to the roof, for some reason his brain thought he was going up to his apartment.

He walked to the edge of the roof and sat down, "Where am I?" he said to himself.

This was definitely not his apartment, his head was fuzzy and his heart hurt, he had lost his family, they didn't want to know him and now he couldn't see Delilah again? She had been his world; he'd gone to the damn award night even though he hated these things all because it made her smile. She had known what had happened she had soothed him and talked him down when he had been distraught over his families treatment of him thanks to his father's words, and now she was gone…No…not gone, that was too much like dead, she like his family had been taken from him.

He was alone.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Tim sat there, he didn't know how he'd ended up on the roof of this building, he thought he'd been at his apartment; the stairs had seemed the same, only he ran out of floors and ended up here.

He looked out over the city; it was pretty, all the lights sparkling in the semi darkness. He took a deep breath for a moment and relished the peace the sight brought him.

The door to the roof opened and a security guard stepped quietly out onto the roof watching the young man just sit there. He moved away and got his radio out.

"Front Desk…it's Andy in Security, we found Tim McGee, he's on the roof, I think you should send up a doctor, see if there's any family here." He said looking at the lost look on the young man's face.

Andy had been a D.C. cop for forty years, security at the hospital was his retirement gig, he had seen jumpers in his time, but he wasn't sure about this young man. He didn't have the look, or the stance of someone that was going to jump. He just looked lost, he reminded the older man of when he was younger and his own son had been four and had run off after a ball in the park, he'd looked just as lost when he'd found him sitting forlornly under a tree.

"Son, my name is Andy…what's your name?" he asked.

"Tim." Tim said not taking his eyes off the skyline.

"Why are you up here son, it's a bit chilly…maybe you should come inside?" He suggested.

"I was…I was inside…then…something happened…my apartments gone…" Tim said vaguely.

"Did you have a fire son?" he asked concerned, he took a small step closer to the man who didn't really move.

"No…there was…an explosion…something happened…people got hurt…I…my head…I…Delilah…she's hurt…but it's my fault…I didn't save her…I tried, I looked for Parsa…I…" he trailed off.

"Did you find him; Parsa…is he your friend?" Andy asked.

"NO!" Tim looked over at the man for the first time, "He's the terrorist that sent the bomb…It was my job, I should have caught him, but I went to that Gala, I let the team down…I let Delilah down, it's my fault, I should have been better at my job…I've lost her because I wasn't good enough. I'm not vital to the team; I'm just a tool and a defective one at that…they were right. I would be better off if I just went away and pretended I didn't exist." Tim looked away; he took a step closer to the edge just wanting to see the view better.

Andy froze and sent a quick prayer up.

* * *

In the lobby, Ducky and Gibbs walked out of the elevator.

"Do you think McGee went home?" Gibbs asked.

Ducky shook his head, "I'm not sure, he was supposed to wait for some medication, it isn't like Timothy to just leave."

"He did earlier." Gibbs reminded him.

Ducky looked reproachfully at his friend, "He was alone earlier."

Gibbs gave a short nod, "You're right, I got caught up with Parsa and just figured McGee's family would be there for him."

"Did you get hold of them?" Ducky asked as they approached the front Desk.

The woman at the front desk listened to the radio announcement from security as they walked past.

"…Tim McGee on the roof, I think you should send up a doctor, see if there's any family here…" Ducky stopped as he heard the radio.

"Excuse me; we're looking for Timothy McGee…Did that message say he was on the roof?" Ducky asked worried.

"Are you family?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm his boss, is he on the roof?" Gibbs asked more forcefully.

She nodded, "We will send a mental health Doctor up, and they are trained in this situation." She said.

"Situation?" Ducky asked.

"Jumpers, you don't have to worry we have a specialist team for this." She said looking worried as both men turned and headed for the elevator.

* * *

Getting out and walking up the last flight of stairs to the roof they came across a doctor and two male nurses standing the other side. "Ok so you have the sedative, be aware this man was in an explosion earlier and has a head injury, I do not want him tackled to the ground, we don't know how stable he is right now, I don't want him to jump."

"Oh for goodness sake, he isn't going to jump." Gibbs snapped and pushed past them.

"No wait!" the doctor said as Gibbs opened the door and stepped out onto the roof Ducky and the others right behind him.

"McGEE!" Gibbs barked.

"Boss?" Tim turned and saw a whole load of people standing there. "What's? What's going on?"

"You planning on jumping McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"No Boss, I got lost…I couldn't find my apartment, I just wanted to get some sleep." He admitted.

"You were supposed to wait for Ducky?" Gibbs said.

"I didn't want to bother him…I went to see Delilah and…and… I….I guess I just forgot Boss." Tim sat back down and put his head in his hands, "My head hurts, I just wanna sleep…I'll be back a work tomorrow Boss, I won't let you down."

"Aw hell Tim, you've never let me down," Gibbs said moving forward and sitting down beside him.

"I let everyone down, my Mom, my Dad, Sarah, Penny, Delilah, her father…you…" he looked out over the vista again.

"Nice View." Gibbs said following his eye line.

"I thought so, but I thought this was my apartment…Boss, why am I here?" McGee asked, "Why are you here? Do you need me to go to work?" he asked.

Gibbs put his hand on Tim's shoulder, "Nope, you just need to get some sleep; I'm here to take you home." He said

"I can get a cab…" McGee said standing up and walking towards the ledge.

Gibbs grabbed his arm, "I think the cabs are this way." He said turning him towards the roof exit door.

McGee nodded and just followed.

As he got to the door the doctor moved in. "Mr. McGee, you need to come with me, we'll get you your medication and then you can head home with your friend ok?"

"My friend?" Tim asked, "I don't have any friends?"

"I'm sure you have a few friends," the doctor reassured him.

"Nope!" Tim said shaking his head and then groaning, "Ouch…Can't have friends, too busy, too much work to do…"

"What about your workmates?" The doctor asked as he walked Tim into the stairwell.

"Not friends, I'm a tool…I'm just there to find information….Boss!" Tim said as Gibbs moved up to his side surprised to see him there, "Did you need me at work?" he asked.

Gibbs shot a look at Ducky, "No Tim, but you need to go with the doctor and get fixed up."

Tim gave a strange look to Gibbs, "Yeah you wouldn't want a defective tool would ya boss."

"McGee…you are not a tool…" Gibbs reminded him.

"Not part of your family either, not like DiNozzo and Abby…" Tim swayed as a nurse pulled a wheelchair up to him.

"No Tim, You are you are a part all your own, I'm here for you son…" Gibbs said looking him in the eyes.

"You shouldn't do that…call me your son, I'm not anyone's son…John died but not before making sure everyone knew I was a useless son, I didn't even get to say goodbye. I thought he liked me, I thought we had come to an agreement, but he lied, he said I….he lied and now they all hate me, I tried to help Delilah…but I hurt her, I can't be in your family boss, I'll ruin it." Tim slumped in his wheelchair his eyes rolling back as the doctor crouched down to his side.

"He's got a bleed, we need to get him into surgery." The doctor said as the orderlies moved him onto a gurney and prepped him for surgery.

"Keep me informed, I'll be right here." Gibbs said as they wheeled him out.

Ducky looked at the anguish in Gibbs' face, "What did Tim mean Jethro? They all hate him. Who hates him?" Ducky asked as Gibbs sank onto a chair in the waiting room.

"His family Ducky, his family disowned him just before his father died, they didn't allow him to attend the funeral, Penny told me not to call her unless McGee was dead."

Ducky looked shocked at that news, "Tim has always been the most gracious of us all, what could he have done to have his family turn on him so badly."

"I don't know Duck, but I'm damn well going to find out." Gibbs growled and pulled out his phone.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs strode to the waiting room and called Penny Langston again.

"Penny, its Gibbs." He said curtly as he moved to sit in a chair near to Ducky.

"Gibbs, I told you not to call me, I don't care what he's done, he is no longer a part of our family," Penny said a note of sadness clear in her voice.

"I need to know why not?" Gibbs asked her.

"Timothy is not the young man we thought he was, he said and did some very hurtful things to this family and we decided that we would all be better off without him." She said honestly.

"What could Tim have done that was so wrong, that now he's been blown up and is in surgery for a bleed on the brain, that you don't care about him anymore?" Gibbs asked confused.

There was a pause on the other end as Penny took in what Gibbs had said about Tim's situation.

"I am…Sorry one of your team members were hurt, but Timothy cut his own ties, he accused his father of murder, he accused him of abuse and neglect and he…" she stopped as she remembered the look on her sons face close to the end.

* * *

John McGee, had called his family together and told them the facts of the last case he had been involved in, telling them that Tim had, to his face, accused him of murder, abuse and liking his second in command more than a son, more than his son.

John had been upset and horrified, Tim had according to John turned up while he was in the hospital and had spouted a stream of abuse at him, had accused him of truly terrible things and John had cried as he'd told his mother and his daughter what Tim had said. Sarah had told her mother what Tim was supposed to have said. Angela, Tim's mother had denied everything that Tim allegedly said and then she hadn't talked to him since worried that he would do the same to her new husband.

Sarah and Penny had gotten mad as John had told them exactly what he thought Tim had said about them. When the end had come and John had died, Timothy McGee had been told he was not, under any circumstances, to attend the funeral. He was not to contact the family and he was not to blacken the memory of his father any longer.

Penny sighed and told all this to Gibbs.

"When was this supposed to have happened?" Gibbs asked worried that Penny was telling the truth.

"Late last year, around July the 15th." She said "He wouldn't answer my calls and we couldn't get in touch with him."

"You wouldn't have done, we were under investigation by the Department of Justice, well actually I was, a kid called Parsons had it in for me and my team, Tim, Ziva and Tony all quit and went to ground with me, trying to keep the D.o.J off of any family they had. I know that Tim took it hard as he wasn't able to see his father while he was in hospital." Gibbs told her.

"No, you're making that up, John told me, he saw Tim in the hospital, and he said the most awful things." Penny argued.

"No, he was with us looking for a man named Ilan Bodnar; he was trying to stop Ziva from killing him. He didn't make it to the hospital at all, then when we had a free weekend I told him to go and see you all, he came back the next day, went to work and never said a word." Gibbs told her. "That was around the 2nd of August."

"That was the day after his parents disowned him and told him to leave them alone…so…you're telling me that Timothy…never… _ **never**_ visited my son in hospital at all?" Penny asked shocked.

"He can't have been in two places at once." Gibbs said.

"Oh…my…Gibbs, what have we done? I mean we had no idea, the nurses said John was agitated and we believed him."

* * *

"Excuse me Penelope." Ducky said listening into the call on the speakerphone. "Was Timothy's father on his cancer drugs at this time?"

"Yes he was, why? He was in the final stages of his cancer." Penny said defensively.

"Some of the medications are hallucinogenic there is a chance he could have been confused." Ducky said.

"Ducky! I would know if he was hallucinating, he was my son…" Penny stopped.

"Well Penelope, it is up to you, but don't you think if your son, through no fault of his own were hallucinating and made a mistake, then Timothy has paid unjustly. Did you not ask him whether or not he was telling the truth?"

"No, well… yes we asked him, but he didn't say anything, so we assumed it was true, his mother tore him off a strip, worried about him doing something to her new husband, Sarah was angry with him, Tim just stood there quietly and listened as they got angry with him and then he apologized turned on his heels and left." Penny told them.

Ducky looked sadly at Gibbs, "So basically, he'd just repaired his relationship with his father and left to keep you all safe and when he got back you all yelled at him, disowned him and banned him from his own father's funeral?" Ducky asked.

"Yes." Penny said sadly.

"My God Jethro, it's a wonder the poor boy didn't jump earlier." Ducky said.

"Jump? Who was jumping? Where…? Did Timothy try and kill himself?!" despite the way she had acted earlier, Penny still loved her grandson and this news sent a shiver of terror through her heart.

"Tim didn't try and jump anywhere, he was injured in an explosion, he's in surgery right now, he was alone at the hospital until we got there and he ended up on the roof of the building trying to find his apartment."

"Why was he alone, what about that girl he's been seeing?" Penny snapped.

"Delilah, she was injured in the same explosion; apparently she's going to be paralyzed. Apparently Tim had a run in with her father and he's forbad him from contacting her again." Ducky said.

"Tim has a skull fracture, he got it in the explosion…just as we got him down from the roof he had a bleed on the brain, this is why he's in surgery now."

Penny looked at the phone and sighed, she had promised years ago that she would always be there for Tim and she knew now that she had failed in that promise.

"Stay with him Agent Gibbs, I will call his family and I will be there soon." She said putting the phone down and crying for a few moments before picking up the phone to call Angela, Tim's mother.

Gibbs looked at Ducky, "Do you think she will actually come for him?"

"I hope so, but either way, I'm not letting him down again." Gibbs said looking worriedly towards the doors where he knew, Tim was undergoing his surgery.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Slowly Tim woke from the surgery, a nurse walked over and checked his stats and patted his arm telling him to rest, and that they would move him to a room soon.

Tim moved his mouth to talk but nothing came out.

He looked fearfully at the nurse. He couldn't hear or speak!

"It's alright, it sometimes happens following brain surgery, while the swelling lessens some people lose the use of something, it is probably temporary and will come back, I'll give you a pad and paper, do you have anyone waiting you'd like to see?" she asked.

Tim looked at her blankly. She grabbed a pen and paper and wrote some questions on. Tim wrote down the answers and then he shook his head and turned away.

He didn't want to see nor did he see the sad look she gave him as she left.

Penny, Sarah and Angela walked into the waiting room, Penny looked around for Gibbs and saw him and Ducky sitting in the corner staring at the doors Tim had gone through hours earlier.

"Agent Gibbs." Penny Langston said as she walked over to him.

"Ms Langston." Gibbs replied guardedly as he looked up at them.

"This is Angela Murray, Tim's mother and you know Sarah of course." She said making introductions.

Gibbs nodded; Ducky stood up and shook hands with the women.

"You here for Tim?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course!" Angela said looking down at him.

Gibbs got up and looked her straight in the eye. "Well you haven't been here for him for a while, so excuse me for asking." He snapped.

He walked over to the doors and looked through the window at the bustle on the other side.

"Gibbs?" Sarah said walking over to him, "We didn't know, we had no idea my father didn't really see him, and Tim didn't defend himself, he never said he hadn't been there…we just thought that…" she stopped as Gibbs turned on her.

"You ACTUALLY thought that Tim…Your Tim could be that callous as to attack a dying man in the hospital, I've only known him eight years and I know he's not that sort of man. I know that your father treated him like dirt when he was alive, and yet as hurt as he was and no matter how much the Admiral put him down when I first met him, he was kind and respectful the whole time to his father." Gibbs said.

Sarah looked down and her mother walked over to them. "We worked with the information we had Agent Gibbs, just like you do in an investigation."

"You  _ **knew**_  Tim; you know he wouldn't do something like that without a damn good reason." Gibbs said his anger starting to boil.

"Granted we made mistakes but we are here now to fix them, what about you and your team Agent Gibbs, where are the rest of Tim's teammates, I thought you were all like family, although from what I heard Tim never felt like he was in your inner circle." Angela stood toe to toe with him.

"He didn't…" Gibbs stepped away and sighed, "And that was my fault, Tim is such a kind unassuming person, that I thought he had the most perfect upbringing. I knew both his parents were alive and Sarah, when I met her was so assertive and feisty that I assumed he had been brought up in a loving home, it wasn't until I met the Admiral that I found out that wasn't exactly true." He looked her in the eye, "I made mistakes too, but my door was always open, I just never realized that the reason he didn't step through it was not because his home life was as perfect as I imagined but that it was more neglected than I imagined."

"I did not neglect my son!" Angela hissed raising her voice slightly and causing a staff nurse to look up at them.

"Mrs. Murray, please calm yourself, we could sit here and argue all day about the wrongs we have all done to Timothy, what we really need to do is focus on the now, and on the right thing we can do for Timothy." Ducky said guiding her to a chair and sitting her down. "Now Jethro, I will go and see how young Timothy is doing and maybe you could rustle up some coffee or tea, maybe young Sarah you could help him?" Ducky suggested.

Everyone nodded and Ducky moved away and headed to the nurses' station to check up on Tim's progress.

* * *

Sarah walked with Gibbs down the hall and got on the elevator heading to the Starbucks that was on the first floor of the hospital, (One of Gibbs' primary reasons that he insisted all his agents were treated at Bethesda.) As the doors closed Sarah looked at Gibbs, "Thank you." She said.

Gibbs looked confused.

She nodded understanding, "For not telling my mother and grandmother that you first met me as a suspect in a case." She clarified.

"I wouldn't betray your trust like that."

"I wouldn't betray Tim's, but you need to know, Mom moved out when Tim was 12, Dad and her would fight a lot, I was young but Tim kept me away from the worst of it. He was my rock, but mom she couldn't cope with the military life…" she stopped and looked down as the elevator doors opened, Gibbs took her into the coffee shop grabbed her a drink and one for himself and sat her down at an empty table.

"Here." He said handing her a drink and a sandwich he'd picked up.

She took it unwrapped the sandwich and took a bite, still avoiding Gibbs' eye. He waited, he could tell by the way she was holding herself that she wanted to say more and lacked the courage to do so.

Eventually she swallowed and turned to him.

"That wasn't exactly true." She said still avoiding eye contact.

"It wasn't." Gibbs said, it wasn't a question rather a statement of face, he knew she hadn't been telling the whole truth in the elevator, but which truth was truth, that was the question.

"Mom did leave when Tim was 12 and I was younger, but…she wanted to take us with her, Dad refused. He had come home from deployment and was being transferred to Alameda. Dad thought it would be a great opportunity, but mom didn't. Dad had been controlling in their marriage and mom, she had hated it, she'd been a good Navy wife, but she'd met a man. His name was Bill, he was…he was a Marine, and he treated us really well." She stopped to Gibbs could catch up and she could take a sip of her drink.

"Bill was everything a father should be, to me he treated me the same way dad did, I could do no wrong, he was kind fair and honest, to Tim he was right up on a pedestal," Sarah smiled, "Until this incident he still was… But our father, always had the notion that Tim wasn't his son, no son of his could have seasickness." She repeated hearing her father in her head.

"Timmy was small when he was born, premature. Dad said that he couldn't have been his as he was on deployment when mom got pregnant. Mom always swore Tim was his child, but Dad could never see it and he treated Timmy different when he found out about the seasickness. Suddenly everything both Mom and Timmy did was wrong. Tim spent six months once, making Dad a card for his birthday, it was a work of art, he gave it to dad and he threw it in the trash," Gibbs nodded he'd heard that story before. "Afterwards Tim cried…Dad took Tim out into the shed at the end of the yard. I don't know what he did there, but I heard the screams from my room and Tim didn't come out of his room for a week and he flinched when I touched him. That was when he started to stutter. Tim has never told me what happened there. But he never let me be alone with my father after that day, so when mom decided to leave, Dad was ok about Tim going but he fought for me. Tim told his mom he wanted to live with his father, she looked hurt, but I know now that Timmy was only staying to protect me." She said sadly.

Gibbs sat with his fists clenched under the table, how could Angela have allowed that situation.

"I don't think mom knew." Sarah said she stood up and put her sandwich in the trash, "The point I am trying to make Gibbs is that Tim didn't come to you when you told him he could, because he doesn't know how. He sees you as a father figure someone to please and to make people proud of. He doesn't know how to ask for help from a father, he was always taught not to bother his."

She walked to the server and ordered the rest of the drinks plus replacements for her and Gibbs' drink.

"They'll be wondering where we have got to." She said and turned with Gibbs picking up the remaining drinks and following her out.

* * *

In the waiting room Ducky finally managed to get a hold of the doctor who had performed surgery on Tim.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Travers, I was the surgeon on Timothy McGee's operation, I hear you are looking for me?" he said.

"I didn't mean to take you away from surgery doctor." Ducky apologized.

"Nonsense, we finished hours ago." Dr. Travers said confused, "They said you were his primary physician?"

"Yes Dr. Donald Mallard." He said holding out his hand and shaking the doctors.

"Of course I would have sent his notes to you eventually; I admit I am surprised you came down here for those."

"I am here with his family." Ducky said.

"But?" Dr. Travers looked confused.

"Is he alright?" Ducky asked as Gibbs and Sarah finally rejoined them.

"He's well, he made it through the surgery, there is a small complication, but we hope it isn't permanent. However he gave me this….Had I known there was family here I would have been out immediately to inform you of his condition." Travers insisted, he pulled out a note.

"Do you have family?" the note read.

"No…I'm alone, don't worry I'll be fine, I always am." It read.

"Do you need us to call anyone?" the other handwriting wrote.

Tim's handwriting shook, "No…I just want to go home." It said.

Ducky looked at the note and his face fell, "He has family and we are all here for him."

Dr. Travers' face lit up, "That is so good to hear, as I said there was a small complication as a result of which Mr. McGee made need some extra help for a while.

"What complication doc?" Gibbs said glaring at him.

"Mr. McGee…."

"Special Agent…" Gibbs interrupted.

The doctor sighed and tried again, "Special Agent McGee cannot hear or speak."

 


	5. Chapter 5

Tim sat there, he laughed as he thought the silence was deafening, and then the smile slipped from his face. It was all over, he couldn't be a federal agent if he couldn't hear or speak, and he wasn't sure what else he could do.

He knew he was lucky he wasn't dead, his doctor had said so, but how was he going to support himself, He sighed, he couldn't be a federal agent anymore, but he could still repair computers or go illegal and become a hacker.

He looked up as he noticed a movement and saw Gibbs standing in the doorway.

He wasn't sure why Gibbs was here, surely by now someone would have told him he was useless and couldn't work anymore.

Gibbs walked over and sat next to him.

Tim looked at him with a confused look on his face.

Gibbs got a pad and pen out and wrote on the paper, "I am glad you're feeling better Tim." He handed the paper to Tim and watched as the younger man read it and looked sad.

"I'm not better," He wrote, "You will need to find someone else for the team."

"Nope, got you; you need to work on getting better." Gibbs said

Tim looked at the note and threw the pen and paper to the floor, why on earth was Gibbs trying to give him false hope. It wasn't like anything was going to get better.

Gibbs sighed, bent over the pick up the note and murmured "Dammit Tim." Knowing Tim couldn't hear him. He straightened up and turned back to Tim writing on the paper.

"Your family is outside." He handed it to Tim.

Tim's expression turned dark and he scribbled furiously on the paper.

"I don't have any family and I don't think the team think of me as family, tell Tony and Ziva to go away!" He wrote.

Gibbs took the paper and turned to a clean sheet, "It's your mother Angela, Penny and your sister Sarah." He wrote, "They understand now that your father made a mistake due to his meds, they want to see you." He handed it back to Tim who read it and couldn't keep from the hurt flashing across his face.

"NO NO NO NO NO!" he wrote in huge letters across the paper. "Tell them to leave…I can't see them, I did nothing, and they are just here to gloat. I won't go through it again." He snapped.

Gibbs walked over to Tim and put a hand on his shoulder, Tim looked up at him and Gibbs could see the tears that were burning in his eyes and knew that Tim would be hard pressed to let them fall.

"Tim they know you did nothing wrong Ducky and I explained to them." Gibbs wrote down.

Tim shook his head, "You should not have done that, I don't want to see them. Tell them to leave… You leave." He thrust the paper back at Gibbs and hit the nurse's button and turned away.

Gibbs walked out of the room and back into the waiting room. He walked over to the three women and handed Tim's mother the conversation they had.

"He wants us all to leave." Gibbs said, "He's hurting, but he wants to be alone.

"But he needs us!" Sarah exclaimed trying to walk towards Tim's room.

A doctor stepping in her path, "Are you here for Tim McGee?" he asked.

Sarah looked up and nodded.

"I…We are, can we go and see him?" she asked.

The doctor shook his head, "I've been in to see him, he seemed very distressed by his condition and some information he received. We have talked and I have explained the situation to him. He has asked that you leave him for the duration of his time in hospital, he will need to learn rudimentary sign language to cope with the hearing and speech impediment."

"What can we do for Timothy?" Ducky asked.

"I would suggest you let him have the time he's asked for, he will be here for a month at least, hopefully his hearing and speech will return, if he doesn't recover his hearing and speech then he will need some adaptations done to his life," the doctor said solemnly. "However for now I suggest you go home, if he does ask for you, I will get someone to get it contact otherwise you need to let him have the time he needs."

Against their better judgment they left, Gibbs called every day by agreement the doctor filled him in on Tim's progress.

Every day Tim was asked if he wanted to see his family, every day the answer came back the same, no.

Gibbs would go to the hospital only to be turned away.

* * *

It had been a month when Gibbs was back at the hospital, only this time he walked into Tim being escorted back to his room.

"Tim!" Gibbs smiled.

Tim looked at the nurse and nodded, "I hear you've been coming every day," Tim signed.

Gibbs looked shocked, "You can sign?" he signed in surprise.

Tim smiled, "Got fed up of writing everything long hand." He admitted.

Gibbs nodded understanding. "It's understandable; you've done well in such a short time to learn sign so fast." He told Tim.

Tim looked at him "I had no choice." He signed. "Are they coming?" he asked.

Gibbs looked confused for a second, "Your mother and family?" he asked.

"Not my family, family doesn't do that to family…I wasn't even there, they wouldn't listen…they did trust me!" He signed furiously.

Gibbs put a hand on Tim's shoulder, "They were wrong, they knew they were wrong. Would you please give them a chance?"

"Why…Why should I," Tim blinked furiously trying to keep his emotions at bay. "They knew me, they should have given me a chance to explain!" he signed.

"They want to…they know they were wrong."

Tim thought about it, his family said they knew he was wrong however none of them had bothered to come to the hospital like Gibbs had done to try and see him. He knew he had told them to go, but he had hoped that they would try and come and see him.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him, "Why are you here?" he signed.

"I need to apologize," Gibbs said looking him in the eye, "I didn't realize that you thought you weren't important on the team, you are important, you are very important to my team."

"I'm a useless tool now." Tim signed sadly.

"No…No you're not, I talked to your doctor today, he said you are well enough to come home, but I need to talk to you about a few things first."

"Like what?" Tim signed looking at his boss confused.

"You have to stay with someone until we can adapt your apartment, and you need to start back at work."

"How? How can I work I can't go in the field, I can't hear or speak!"

Gibbs smiled, "We have adjusted your work area, you have a text phone for work, and Vance has agreed that you can do desk work."

Tim nodded suddenly understanding, "You can't work your computer…that's why you want me back."

"For goodness sake Tim, NO!" Gibbs signed angrily. "You are a part of my team, a part of our family, I'm not going to let a little setback like this stop you from being a part of the family. You may not have felt like it before, but I promise you you'll never feel like you are not a part of this team or family again."

Tim looked at him stunned, this was what he had always wanted, to feel a part of the whole.

"Thank you." He signed not sure what else to say.

Gibbs smiled at him, "Pack your bags Tim, you're coming home."

 


	6. Chapter 6

Tim sat in Gibbs' car as they drove away from the hospital. He did not bother looking over at Gibbs; it was not like he could talk to him while he was driving.

So he watched out of the window.

People were walking by, as if nothing had happened, and to them nothing had happened. The sun was shining and people where laughing and Tim could not understand why. It should be dark, raining…overcast at least.

Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day and people were continuing with their lives. Tim wondered if by looking at him they could tell that he was different, that his life had stopped. For him there was no sound, no gaiety or laughter. Not for him to hear and not from him, as he could not hear or speak anymore.

Of course, he had been told this might not be permanent, but with his luck, he doubted that he would ever recover.

However, he could not fight Gibbs; he knew this from working with the man for the past 8 years. However, eventually Gibbs would realize that Tim could not do his job anymore and that he would have to be let go.

He looked up in surprise as the car rolled to a halt. He was not as he expected at his apartment. He knew that the doctor had said it was not safe for him to be alone, but he had expected Gibbs to drop him off at his apartment and then maybe pick him up for work tomorrow. But not this, he was outside Gibbs' house.

He had not been here since the case where Director Sheppard had been accused of killing Rene Beniot. He was not Tony, or Abby he did not drop by on a regular basis for a chat or a drink. He even thought that probably Palmer had been here more often than he had in his life.

So why was Gibbs stopping here?

Maybe he was planning to stay at Tim's apartment and needed clothes and things.

'Boss?' Tim signed as Gibbs looked over at him, 'Do you want me to wait in the car?'

Gibbs shook his head, 'It would be a long wait Tim; you are staying here until the doctor says you can go back to your apartment alone.' He signed.

'Why…I can look after myself.' Tim signed feeling out of his depth.

Gibbs gave him a half smile, stifling the urge to head-slap the younger man, it would work on DiNozzo, but not McGee, especially after what Sarah had told him, he knew to tread carefully.

'I promised the doctor you would stay with me, you don't want to make a liar out of me now do you Tim?' Gibbs signed.

Tim shook his head and reluctantly reached for the door handle and climbed out of the car.

He looked towards the door of the house as it opened, and saw Ducky was standing there.

Tim looked over at Gibbs in a panic, 'Are they all here?' he signed.

Gibbs shook his head, ' I wouldn't do that to you Tim, it's just Ducky to make sure I know what is needed for your care and to make sure we understand your medication, I think he wants to make certain you are settled.'

Tim nodded, he really didn't want to see anyone, all he wanted to do was take the medication, so that the pounding in his head would ease and sleep. Then he hoped he would wake up and this would be all a dream.

He snapped back to reality as Gibbs put a hand on his shoulder and guided him up the steps to his house.

Ducky smiled at Tim, "Hello my boy it is good to see you out of that place." He said.

Tim nodded having no idea what he said, he sighed as he realized he would have to learn to read lips just to be able to communicate.

Gibbs turned and signed what Ducky had said and Tim nodded, 'thank you' he signed back. He looked around Gibbs' home, it was exactly as it had been when he had seen it the last time he was here and apart from the way to the basement, Tim had no idea where anything was.

'Follow me your room is this way.' Gibbs signed.

Tim looked over at Ducky apologetically and followed Gibbs up the stairs.

* * *

He walked to a room at the end of the hallway, 'This is your room Tim for while you are here, this door is the bathroom.' Gibbs signed pointing to the door next to the one they were standing in front of. There was a thinner door across the hall and Gibbs opened it taking some brand new towels out of a bag, he handed them to Tim and opened the door to his room.

Tim walked inside; he was surprised to find it clean and aired out. The queen sized bed was aired and had clean bedding on it and there was a small carafe of water beside the bed. The room itself had been recently repainted; Tim smiled slightly as he noticed it was the same color as his bedroom at home. He wondered if maybe Abby had had something to do with that.

Gibbs walked over and pulled the windows closed. They had obviously been left open for the paint on the walls to dry.

Tim looked around. There were pads and pens, and he noted with surprise that his Ipad and laptop where installed in the room.

Tim placed his bag on the bed and looked at Gibbs. 'Wi-Fi?' he signed.

Gibbs shrugged, 'Abby and Tony.' He signed back as if that explained it all, it certainly explained the pile of movies next to his laptop, there was a piece of paper on top that just said, use the closed captions, and a smiley face.

Tim gave a small silent laugh, maybe Tony and the others did care just a bit after all.

Gibbs tapped Tim on the shoulder to get his attention, 'I'm going to talk to Ducky, you get your things unpacked and get settled, and come down when you are ready. I'll make steaks and potatoes for dinner. We will talk later ok?'

Tim nodded and sat heavily on the bed as Gibbs left the room wondering where he was going to start.

* * *

Gibbs jogged down the stairs to Ducky.

"The room looks great Duck, Abby and Tony?" he asked.

Ducky nodded, "Yes, they left about ten minutes before you arrived. I also called Sarah to let them know that Tim was out of hospital now and was staying with you."

"How did she take it?" Gibbs asked.

"She was upset when I told her that they couldn't see him yet, although I believe his mother is quiet insistent about being able to see him sometime. She has asked that you keep her informed of her sons' progress."

"Can you…" Gibbs started and Ducky nodded.

"Of course Jethro,"

"Duck, I've got Tim's medication and I know he's to see a hearing specialist this week, but his doctor has suggested that we get him back to the office as soon as possible, just to get him acclimatized to the new adaptations that have been added to his workplace, his doctor suggested that if he knew what was in store for him he may not worry as much."

"I agree, the worry about how he is going to fit in must be weighing hard on the poor boy." Ducky said.

They turned as they heard Tim's footsteps padding down the stairs.

'Is everything ok?' he signed to Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded reading Tim's signing aloud and speaking his reply for Ducky's benefit, 'it's fine Tim, I was just asking Ducky to join us for Dinner.'

Ducky shook his head, "Alas I can't I have a prior engagement." He replied. "Please tell Tim if it is alright with him I would like to visit him tomorrow."

Tim nodded in affirmation at Ducky's request. The old man turned his back on Tim heading to the door, "Jethro walk me out." He said knowing Tim couldn't hear him.

* * *

Gibbs followed him as soon as he closed the door he turned to Ducky. "What's wrong Duck?"

"I am having dinner with Angela and Penelope tonight. I promised that I would keep in touch with them and well, they are…" he stopped as a car pulled up and Tim's mother got out.

Tim watching through the window started to hyperventilate at the sight of his mother, he took a step back and walked into the coffee table landing on it with a thud, he kept his eyes trained on the scene outside worrying that she would come into the house.

She turned and walked up the path to the two men.

Tim grabbed a pad and pen that Gibbs had left on the coffee table and started writing hurriedly, but he kept messing it up.

He stood up and walked to the door, slamming it open to make as much noise as possible to get the three people's attention.

"Tim?" Angela said surprised.

Tim stood glaring at her and started signing furiously.

Gibbs turned and signed back.

'TELL HER!' Tim signed.

Gibbs sighed and turned around making sure Tim could see as he signed and talked.

"Tim says he doesn't know what game you are playing, he doesn't care. You made your feelings known a while ago and he has respected your wish to stay out of your life, he is not a tool for you or anyone else to use," Gibbs paused as that sentence sank in. "He is sorry he didn't die in that explosion, he knows that is what you all wished for."

Angela clasped her hand over her mouth in horror.

'I trusted you Gibbs, but yet again you have broken my trust, you invited my mother here for what? To remind me how useless I am to you now?' Tim signed, tears he had been holding back started to flow freely.

'No Tim, I had no idea your mother was coming,' Gibbs signed.

Tim shook his head, he stopped as the world started to spin, he knew he needed his meds, but right now he brushed it off.

'Why are you here mother? I have nothing left for you to destroy, you all broke me…I am alone, just please let me be.' He signed.

He took a step back and fell as the dizziness overwhelmed him.

* * *

"TIM!" Angela screamed as they all ran over to him.

Tim lay on his back a moment and tried blinking to re-orientate himself. He felt wave after wave of nausea as his head spun.

Ducky ran inside and got Tim's medication from the kitchen counter where he had left it.

As Ducky made it back to the door Tim passed out.

"Help me get these down him and we'll lay him on the couch." Ducky ordered.

Angela stood there tears streaming down her face, "He hates me, he really hates me."

She grabbed the blanket from the end of the couch and laid it across her son, "Agent Gibbs, please…let me stay with him till he wakes up…I have to be able to make him see, I love him."

Gibbs looked angry and Angela turned to him, "I don't know if you have children Agent Gibbs, but put yourself in my shoes, what if it were one of your children and you had made a mistake wouldn't you like the chance, just one more chance, to make things right?"

Gibbs flashed back to Kelly crying as he left for Iraq, the last time he saw her. His heart broke as he realized that he would give anything to go back to that time and just hold her, to tell her he loved her.

He nodded, "I would, alright, you can stay for now, we will just have to talk to Tim when he wakes up."

 


	7. Chapter 7

Ducky stood watching over Tim as Gibbs took Angela outside to talk to her even though he knew Tim couldn't hear but he felt it inappropriate to have the conversation in the same room.

He handed her a coffee as they stepped outside on the back porch.

"I appreciate this Agent Gibbs." Angela said as she took a sip of her drink.

"I won't let you see Tim if he decides against it," Gibbs warned her, "I need him to get well,"

"So he can come back to work?" Angela snapped.

"No…because I care about him, he's family…I made a mistake as well, he's letting me in and letting me apologize for what I did. He knows that what I did to him was because I didn't know any better. You were his mother, you knew him and his situation and still you blamed him." Gibbs leant on the railing looking out over his garden.

"I believed my husband." Angela said.

Gibbs turned and looked at her disbelievingly. "You believed your husband the man who for years belittled and degraded your son." He leaned back against the railing, "I had no idea about his father until we met on a case, I had to sit in a room with the man hearing him degrade the work his son did as irrelevant, it was all I could do not to hit the man." He admitted.

"Tim's always been a challenging child; he and John just rubbed each other up the wrong way." Angela reasoned.

"You were lucky to have Tim as a son, all children should be challenging, and they should try to test their boundaries." Gibbs bristled.

"He didn't want to even try with his father, he wouldn't go sailing with him, or visit him on his boat."

"He's seasick!" Gibbs exclaimed looking at her like she was mad.

"It's something kids say, John said the doctor thought he was faking it."

Gibbs turned and looked at her. "And you believed that? Tim has to take Dramamine whenever we go on a boat, his seasickness is real. He isn't less a man for having it. He is a great agent and a talented writer."

Angela sighed, "He convinced you of that…he's been messing about with that writing thing for years, we told him he'd never make a go of it, it was bad enough he went to MIT rather than the Naval College."

Gibbs sighed. "I think you need to leave, I'll talk to Tim, but there are a few things you need to know before you see him again, Tim is a very important member of my team, he's a great federal agent and he is also a very accomplished author and we are all proud of him."

Angela looked amazed, "Really? An author? Timmy?"

"Sarah didn't tell you?" it was Gibbs' turn to look amazed.

"No…we don't talk about Tim much." She admitted.

"You ever heard of the Deep Six series of books?" Gibbs asked.

Angela nodded, "I love those, packed full of interesting plot twists and so realistic."

Gibbs smiled, "They are…Tim wrote them, they are loosely based on the team and our cases…Read his second to last one, Sudden Squall?" he asked.

Angela nodded, "I didn't like the Admiral in that one, MacGregor's father, and he was so mean to his son."

"Think about that," Gibbs said, "McGregor is McGee, and the Admiral was John, that was almost exactly word for word how he treated his son."

He took her cup and steered her around the side of the house, "You need to leave, I will explain to Tim that you want to see him, but your attitude has shown me that you still have a long way to go,"

"But Agent Gibbs, Can you cope with Tim…damaged as he is now."

Gibbs stopped, "Damaged, Tim isn't damaged."

Angela shook her head, "Handicapped then, poor choice of words." She sighed.

Gibbs closed his fist, if he was ever close to hitting a woman now would be it. "Your son is not damaged or handicapped, he is deaf and cannot talk right now, but even like this he is still a first rate federal agent and an asset to all who know him, he has a kind heart and is managing to cope with his situation alone, because the people who should have had his back right from the start were not there for him, I for one intend to rectify my mistake, you are his mother, he is not a liability, he his your child…"

Angela looked at Gibbs sadly, "I'm not his mother…He's Johns child…He doesn't know…please, I try I have tried so very hard, I will make the effort Agent Gibbs, but don't tell him."

Against his better judgment Gibbs nodded, "Very well, it explains why you were so eager to believe John…but think about this, Tim believes he is your son, one day he may find out different, who do you want him to hear it from."

"Me…I should tell him, I want to be a better mother to him, I really do…" she allowed a tear to slip.

"Angela…write Tim a letter, tell him how you feel, all the things you wanted to tell him when he collapsed, I'll give him the letter and then I'll let you know what he says."

She held her hand out and shook his, "Thank you Agent Gibbs…Thank you for looking after him."

"One thing, do you know who Tim's mother is?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't I know she was a married woman, and she died just after Tim was born, he was in the hospital he was premature, she tried to take his older brother to go and see her, her husband was a drunk and abusive, there was a car accident and they both died, the poor boy was eight…I remember John being told about it, the stepfather didn't want Tim and I was engaged to John at the time, so we took in this tiny baby. I do love him, I have from the first moment I saw him, but Sarah is my biological child and I think that John took it out on Tim somewhat that Elizabeth, his mother died and he had to tell me about the affair."

Something in the conversation poked at Gibbs' memory; maybe it was a cold case or something, "Thank you for telling me, I promise when you write the letter I will tell him."

"I will tell him about his mother, you're right he deserves to hear it from us…John had a picture of her, I will include it in the letter, will you make sure you are there when he reads it?"

"I promise you I will always be there for Tim." Gibbs said and he watched as Angela walked towards her car.

Gibbs turned and walked towards the house, he hoped that when Tim found out about all this he would understand, he knew they had a long road ahead of them but he was determined to be there for Tim every step of the way.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Tim woke up from a nightmare a soundless scream breaking from his mouth. He breathed heavily and looked around. He was alone, which he expected.

He looked out of the window as his mother climbed into a cab and drove away from the house, realizing that Gibbs couldn't see him he watched as Gibbs looked sadly towards where he was hidden by the checked curtain, he picked up his phone and said something and then walked towards the house.

He moved tiredly to the couch and sat there as Gibbs entered and laid a hand on his shoulder to inform him of his presence.

"I'm sorry." Tim signed.

Gibbs shook his head, "No need Tim, I talked to Angela, she's sorry she upset you, they all are, they realize they made a mistake and they want to fix it, but she understands that you need to heal first."

Tim gave a soundless laugh, "Really, mom said that?" he asked.

He knew a few things were true, his father had always thought that he was inferior, and his mother had never loved him. These he knew for a fact as true as the fact that night followed day. She had tried to love him, he knew this, but she had never managed to care for him the way she had cared about Sarah. He just assumed it was either because he was a boy…or later as he had gotten older he had done some research and had learned about post partum depression and just figured he'd given that to his mother and that was why he was never treated the same way as his sister.

"Yes Tim, she said that, she's having a little trouble adjusting to your situation, Ducky will see her and talk her through what she needs to know, but she wants to help."

Tim sighed, he knew that Gibbs meant well, but he was too tired to deal with all the family drama that came with her right now.

"You need to talk to her, she has some things she needs to tell you, that you need to know."

"Do you know?" Tim signed.

Gibbs nodded and turned away. Tim stood up and walked over to him, "Tell me." He signed.

Gibbs walked into the kitchen and kept his back to Tim.

Tim stamped on the floor, "Tell me!" he signed again.

Gibbs shook his head, "No…you want to know…talk to Angela."

Tim shook his head, "No…"

Gibbs shrugged and turned back to making the coffee.

Tim got frustrated and stamped his foot again.

Gibbs turned and handed him a tea, "Drink this and take your meds, you have work tomorrow." He said.

Tim pouted unconsciously and ran his fingers through his hair, it was sticking up and Gibbs could see the little boy McGee could have been in the man standing before him.

He turned the younger man on his heels and guided him gently up to bed.

"I'll wake you up at 6am Tim." Gibbs signed and he handed him his pills.

Tim nodded, his mind wondering what his mother wanted to tell him and whether it was of any importance to him or not, but soon the pills did their job and he was fast asleep.

* * *

6am on the dot he was awoken by his bedroom light flashing on and off.

He groaned soundlessly and reached for the alarm by his bed. Hitting it the light stopped flashing and stayed on. Tim got up, had a shower and shave and looked at himself in the mirror.

Was he ready for this?

Gibbs had mentioned that he didn't have to do a full day; it was just to acclimatize himself with the new equipment he would be using.

He got dressed and made his way bag in hand down the stairs to find Gibbs sitting at the kitchen table, Newspaper in hand and a coffee by his side.

He looked up as McGee walked in and placed the paper on the table, "Breakfast Tim?" He signed.

Tim looked over at the coffee and nodded, "Ok, Ducky says you can have a coffee this morning, did you take your Meds?" Gibbs signed again as Tim sat down.

Tim nodded; he had taken them before he came down.

"Ok then, eat or Ducky will put me on his table." Gibbs grinned as he handed Tim a plate of bacon and eggs.

Tim smiled, and ate up and before he knew it they were both standing outside the NCIS headquarters.

"Are you ready for this?" Gibbs signed.

Tim took a deep breath, in truth he didn't feel like he was ready for this; however, he knew that he had to get this over with sooner rather than later.

He nodded and he felt Gibb's hand on his shoulder as they walked into the building.

He had called ahead and the staff on the door nodded to him, but didn't give him any trouble, knowing he couldn't hear or speak to them.

Tim showed his badge and cleared through security easily and within minutes they were standing side by side in the elevator.

"You ok?" Gibbs asked.

Tim nodded, so far it had been easier than he had imagined.

* * *

The doors opened and he walked out of the elevator to see Tony, Ellie and Abby standing in the middle of the bullpen as Ducky and Jimmy came to join them from the back elevator.

"Hi Timmy." Abby signed, "Welcome back."

Tim gave a half hearted smile, "Thanks Abby." He signed back.

"Hi Timmy, I am so lost without you." Tony signed and Tim silently laughed as Gibbs burst into laughter.

"WHAT?!" Tony asked. "Abby you said that was "Hi Tim, welcome back?" Tony exclaimed as Tim wiped a tear of laughter away.

Tim picked up a pad and wrote down what he had signed and handed it to him.

Tony looked shocked and then he too laughed, "Well I am lost without you here." He admitted.

Gibbs translated and Tim smiled.

Tony pulled him into a one armed hug, he grabbed a pad and wrote 'Welcome back' and gave him the sheet of paper.

A smaller man walked off the elevator and over to the group, "Tim McGee?" he asked.

All eyes turned to Tim and Gibbs stood in-between the new man and Tim, "You are?"

"Oh sorry, My name is Joe Blackthorn I'm from assisted services, I'm here to acclimatize Agent McGee to his new equipment." He told the group.

Everyone relaxed as Tim stepped out from behind Gibbs and finally saw the man who had had the whole group shield him. He smiled as he recognized the man.

"Joe!" Tim signed and walked over to hug the man, "I didn't realize they would send you."

Joe smiled, "What and let you loose on the big wide world without me?" Joe said and signed at the same time.

"You know him Tim?" Gibbs signed.

Tim nodded a genuine smile on his face, "Joe gave me back my voice." He explained.

Tony and Ellie looked confused until Tim signed again with Gibbs translating, "Joe taught me how to sign,"

"So Tim, are you ready for your first day at work?" Joe asked.

Tim nodded and the group made a hole so Tim and Joe could get to Tim's desk. He could see a lot of changes, a new computer, which he was excited about and a new phone, with a digital display. He looked at Joe enquiringly, "It's a text phone." Joe signed, "So you can see what your colleagues are saying down the phone."

Tim nodded, Gibbs looked up as his cell rang, "Gear up, we got a body." He said to the team.

Tim looked up as suddenly there was a lot of movement in the bullpen and a small light on his desk lit up, he looked at Joe, who signed, "Gibbs has a call out, you will stay here and work with me."

Tim nodded sadly as Gibbs smiled and left, he wanted more than anything to be going with him, but he couldn't hear or talk and he knew he wouldn't be able to protect himself out there.

* * *

After an hour the phone on his desk lit up, "How do I answer it?" Tim signed to Joe.

Joe showed him, he pressed a button and the screen lit up, _**Tim…its Tony can you hear me?**_ Tim grinned as he read the words on the screen.

 _ **Nope Tony, I can't hear a thing…maybe you need to yell louder!**_ He typed.

 _ **Ha ha…**_ Tony said and his words scrolled in front of Tim, _**Bossman asked me to call he thinks if you're up to it, you can help, we got a dead petty officer, PFC Andrew Martin. He wants you to see what information you can get on him before we get back…and he's heading to the car now.**_ Tony said and his words were translated.

Tim nodded and typed, _**on it…drive slow.**_ Then he cut off the call.

Joe looked at him, "This part is all yours, the system is practically the same, the only difference will be on the plasma screen, we have set it up so you can type what you want to say and it comes up in the box on the left, you find the information you need before Gibbs gets back and we'll show them how it works."

Tim worked in the same manner he had done before the explosion, it felt right and he actually found himself enjoying the work, he didn't look up as Gibbs and the team walked into the bullpen until Gibbs stepped on the pressure pad in front of his desk which caused a red light to blink.

Tim looked up, not realizing how long Gibbs had been there.

* * *

In actual fact Joe had met them outside the bullpen and given them a rundown of how Tim's day had been and how the new equipment worked.

Gibbs had nodded and walked to stand in front of McGee's desk.

"Sit-Rep McGee." He signed.

Tim started to stand up and then he realized he had to do this different now. Joe walked up and took a seat behind him. Tim started pulling information onto the plasma and the others watched as a black box appeared at the bottom of the screen.

 _ **Ok boss….**_ The words scrolled along the screen, _**PFC Andrew Martin, been assigned to the Ronald Regan which made port in Norfolk last night, he was marked AWOL this morning during a routine bunk check, the agent afloat is Charlie Mason and he's heading here now with the files he has on Martin.**_

"She…." Tony said absently and then realized, "Boss can you tell Tim that Charlie Mason is a girl." He added.

Gibbs chucked a pad and pen his way, "Tell him yourself DiNozzo." He said.

Tony wrote it down and handed the scrap of paper to McGee.

 _ **Thanks Tony…..:)**_ Came scrolling along the screen.

Tony grinned back at Tim glad that he wasn't mad that he'd forgotten that he couldn't hear.

"Lunch!" Gibbs signed and said aloud, "Mason won't be here for at least an hour, there's nothing else to do so eat while you can."

Tim watched as the others grabbed their bags and stood up, "You coming Tim?" Tony wrote on a piece of paper as he verbally invited Joe as well.

Joe waited to see what Tim wanted to do and was pleased when the younger man nodded and grabbed his own bag, Joe signed to let him know he'd be going too and they all headed off to get some food.

Gibbs watched with a smile on his face as the team headed off towards the elevator, he hadn't expected Tim to get back into things so soon and knew he still needed to eat and take his medications, but he also knew he needed to heal things with his team. In his excitement of getting back to work some of the resentment and Anger had dissipated, but Gibbs figured it couldn't be gone for long, besides while they were gone Gibbs had some investigating of his own to do and he picked up the phone.


	9. Chapter 9

Tim walked with the others down the street; Tony had his arm protectively on Tim's guiding him around obstacles he could not hear, pulling him out of the way as a car honked its horn as Tim, trying to understand the conversation between the team, nearly stepped out into the road.

Tony turned Tim so he could see his face, "Careful." He said slowly.

Tim nodded as he understood, "Thanks Tony." He signed.

"He said thanks." Abby translated.

"I got it thanks." Tony said, pleased he'd actually understood that sign.

They got to the restaurant and Abby turned to Tim before they went inside, "You'll be ok here, the staff all knows how to sign, and this is a fully inclusive restaurant." She said pleased that she had picked it.

Tim was annoyed that he was being singled out like this, for a few moments on the walk down the street it had seemed liked the old days, just them going out for a meal. But he realized that she was trying and for that he was grateful.

They had all been nice today, he wasn't sure if it was because he was truly missed or that he was missed at work, he still couldn't really get the tool analogy out of his head, although he knew that they were trying and for that he was grateful.

They went inside and Tim sat down in his seat. The server walked up to them and signed as he talked.

"Good afternoon, what can I get for you all today?" he asked.

The crew looked at the menus, "We may need a few minutes." Tony said

"That's fine, my name is Zak and I'm your server today, if you press the buzzer on your table a light will flash and alert me that you need me." He said and went to fetch them water.

Tim looked at the menu, not paying attention to anything else.

"TIM McGEE!" an angry voice cut across the restaurant.

Every head but Tim's turned in the direction of the voice.

"Shit." Tony snapped seeing Delilah sitting in her wheelchair looking angrily in Tim's direction.

"TIMOTHY McGEE LOOK AT ME!" she yelled, tears of anger rolling down her face.

"Delilah…" Tony started, he moved and Tim looked up, his face going ashen at the sight of the woman he still loved, but her father's warning ringing in his head.

He shook his head in fear, looking to see if her father was nearby.

"NO? No!" Delilah looked heartbroken, "My father was right you don't want me because I'm in this chair?"

Tim looked blankly at her.

"You have nothing to say?!" she was incredulous, he could at least explain, say something… anything…

"Delilah….wait…you…" Tony started trying to get Tim to sit down.

"This is not your fight Tony, don't try and cover for him, he went with me to the awards and then walked away from me at the hospital and I haven't seen him since."

Tim stood up shaking his head; Abby had just signed the entire conversation to Tim.

'No tell her that's not what happened…I didn't leave…I was told to…I hurt her and I am sorry, but I would have hurt her more if I had stayed….tell her Abs!" Tim signed.

"Don't you go hiding behind Abby….Talk to me!" Delilah yelled.

Tony turned to defend Tim again but he pushed past him and walked over to where Delilah was sitting.

'I can't talk…I got injured too, I can't hear or speak.' Tim signed shooting a desperate glance over to Abby, who realizing what he wanted, translated for him.

Delilah stopped and looked from Tim, who had not moved and was looking at her intently to Abby who was saying what Tim was signing.

"Wait…wait… what?" she asked realizing that Tim was still speaking.

Abby tapped him on the shoulder and signed that he needed to repeat what he had said.

'I was told your injury was my fault and that you needed me to leave you alone to heal.' He signed again.

"Who the hell told you…? No…wait…my father yeah?" Delilah asked her shoulders sagging as Tim confirmed it and Abby turned to her.

"Delilah, come and join us at our table, we haven't eaten yet." Abby said reading what Tim was signing.

The tension in the restaurant eased as she nodded, tears still streaming down her face, Tim handed her a tissue and she took it, smiling at him as their hands touched.

He gave a small smile and moved a chair so her wheelchair would fit under the table; Zak immediately moved the chair completely out of the way and placed a clean glass of water and a whole new place setting at the table.

Taking their order, Zak went away as Delilah asked Tim if the injuries to him were permanent.

Tim shrugged, 'I don't know.' He admitted. 'The doctor thought it may clear up but I still have a way to go,'

He wanted to tell her that he may have gotten this injury when her dad slammed him up against the wall in the hospital, but he didn't think that would be fair to her.

Tony having finished his meal already got up, "Ab's tell Tim I'm going to take Gibbs back some lunch and coffee, I'll clear it with him for you guys to stay a while longer to help Tim and Delilah catch up."

Abby nodded, "Sure Tony." she smiled and signed to Tim to let him know.

'Thanks Tony.' Tim signed.

Tony grinned as his friend turned back to gazing adoringly at Delilah who blushed and sent Tony a smile.

"Thanks DiNozzo." She added looking up at him.

"No problem wheels." He grinned and went to order Gibbs a coffee and sandwich to go.

Tim looked back at her, "Do you think you can, that you would want to see someone like me, someone broken?" he signed.

Delilah looked mad for a second, "Abby?" she asked turning to the Goth woman sitting and translating, "Can you sign this word for word?"

Abby looked worried but nodded.

"Timothy McGee, I love you, you are not broken, you are not any less the man I fell in love with than you were before the accident."

Tim gulped as he read Abby's hands.

Delilah continued, "Do you see me as any less of a woman now that I am confined to this chair for the rest of my life?"

Tim shook his head. "No...not at all, you are still the most beautiful and kind and wonderful woman that I fell in love with. The chair makes no difference to me, it is something you use not who you are."

"Then you must think I am shallow?" Delilah said with a wink to Abby who smiled as she got where this was going.

"What! NO!" Tim signed and practically jumping out of his seat as Abby put a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen to what she's saying." Abby signed, Tim shot her a sideways look and she grinned. "You know what I mean."

"Tim!" Delilah signed waving her hand in front of him. He turned and looked at her.

"I want to keep seeing you, I know you don't think of me like that, but I wanted you to see how ridiculous it sounded, and for you to realize that we are who we are and this...stupid disability thing does not change who we are, it just changes how we do things, that's all." she said and waited as Abby translated.

Tim nodded, she was right, he hadn't got it properly before, but now...now he understood, he could be and would be ok no matter what the outcome.

They enjoyed the rest of their dessert and with Tim promising to take Delilah out as soon as he could and a promise from her to learn ASL so she could talk to him, they parted ways.

Tim and Abby headed back to work and for the first time in a while, Tim was animated and happy.


	10. Chapter 10

Anthony DiNozzo Senior paled as he saw the name on the caller ID. He looked over at his new wife Linda.

"It's Gibbs honey, I have to take it." he said. He pulled a robe on and walked towards the large picture window that was overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

This was not how he had planned to spend his first anniversary.

"Gibbs." he said as he answered the call, "Is Anthony all right?" he asked the worry evident in his voice.

"Tony's fine." Gibbs' voice filtered through the phone. "I have a delicate question to ask you."

Anthony opened the sliding patio doors and took a coffee out to the balcony and watched as the early morning runners ran along a boardwalk in the distance.

"Ok Gibbs, go on, Is Tony in any trouble?" he remembered when his son told him about being accused of murder by the FBI.

"No, I want to talk to you about Elizabeth." Gibbs said.

Anthony stopped at that, "Hang on…" he got up and closed the patio doors giving himself privacy. "Alright, What's all this about Gibbs."

Gibbs sighed and checked no one was listening "Did Elizabeth have a second child?" he asked.

He listened as the sound of waves reached him, but no reply.

"...Senior?"

"She did, I think it was adopted, I never saw it. Did Tony find out somehow?" he asked his voice worried.

"No...no DiNozzo...Tony doesn't know, what can you tell me about it?" Gibbs asked.

"Leave it alone Gibbs, the child wasn't mine, Elizabeth died because she was going to see it, it was a sickly baby." Senior hoped Gibbs was going to let it go.

"Please." Gibbs asked.

There was silence again.

In Los Angeles, Anthony DiNozzo Senior gulped forcing down emotions he hadn't felt for a long time.

"This is painful Gibbs, there is a reason people don't talk about things…." He sighed, "In 1977 Elizabeth and I had some problems, Tony was a handful and I was...well, I was working and not spending enough time with my family." He admitted.

Gibbs bit back a retort at that and waited.

"Elizabeth met a naval captain, John...something, I think. He was kind and spent time with her, while I didn't. Elizabeth and I seperated for a while, Tony stayed with me while his mother moved into the guest house. Anyway, she dated this guy, he wasn't as squeaky clean as she thought, he hit her and treated her badly. I looked into him he was into some shady stuff, but when Elizabeth became pregnant he wanted to marry her, but she caught him hitting Tony."

"He hit him?" Gibbs' voice cut in shocked.

DiNozzo Senior nodded, even though Gibbs couldn't see him, "I went to take Elizabeth some papers, I was filing for divorce and I caught the Captain hitting Tony with a belt, he'd spoken out of turn and he was saying awful things. We had a fight but when Elizabeth found out she threw him out. It was a month after that she found out she was expecting."

"And you didn't want her or the baby?" Gibbs supplied remembering the conversation he had had with Angela McGee.

"No!" Senior exclaimed, "I took her back, I forgave her and was going to raise the child with her. She had the baby it was a boy about september that year, I think….She was taking Tony to meet his brother when she died. She didn't put me on the birth certificate Gibbs, she put the real father's name, He wouldn't let me take the boy, he insisted it was his mistake and he would deal with it."

Gibbs' hands clenched, again Tim was being called a mistake.

"I was heartbroken, I lost a child I had looked forward to having and my wife. I tried to get custody through the courts, I knew what his biological father was like, but I had no hope. I lost track of them after they moved to Alameda, I have no idea what became of the boy."

"He's here?" Gibbs said flatly not even realizing he had said it, "He works with me."

"McGee?!" Senior put it together, "That was it, John McGee!"

"Yes, McGee is Tony's brother...I just needed the clarification before I talked to him about it." Gibbs said.

"I'm on a late honeymoon with Linda," Senior said, "If Tony needs me you let me know, we can be on a plane out there as soon as we can."

Gibbs shook his head, "No...I'll deal with it...Enjoy your honeymoon Senior." he replied and put the phone down.

He turned and stopped as a shocked Tony stood at the edge of the bullpen a sandwich bag and to-go cup of coffee in his hand.

"What do you mean McGee is my brother?!" he asked.

Gibbs stopped and looked over at Tony, "I thought you were having lunch with McGee?"

"Don't ya mean DiNozzo, were you talking to my old man, was he cheating on my mom?" he asked angrily putting the lunchbag and the coffee down.

"No DiNozzo, I meant McGee," Gibbs didn't want to go there with Tony but he realised he had no choice, "Come with me." he said and headed out of the bullpen.

Tony had to stop for a second when he realized that he was not, as expected, heading to the elevator. He instead headed up the stairs and knocked on Director Vance's door.

"Come." Vance's voice came through the door.

"Leon, you busy?" Gibbs asked.

The Director shook his head. "Not really...Why?" he asked.

"I need to use your SCIF." Gibbs said.

"OK, I have to head to MTAC for a conference call soon, let me know when you are done." he said.

He gathered his things and left, Gibbs motioned for Tony to sit down and hit a button on the Directors Desk.

Tony looked up at him as the lock clicked on the door and the room went into SCIF mode.

"What's so important we have to talk in here?" Tony asked, "I only asked you a simple question, Is McGee my dad's son?"

Gibbs sighed, "No, he's not...but...he is your brother." He admitted.

"How? Does he know?" Tony jumped up wanting to see Tim.

"No...Tony no, he doesn't know. This is why we are talking in here, right now you can't tell him."

"Why not?" Tony asked, his head spinning. McGee was his brother, he needed him even more now than before. "I need to tell him, he can stay with me while he heals, it's my…."

"TONY STOP!" Gibbs yelled.

Tony turned and took a breath as he looked at the sadness on Gibb's face.

"Tony you can't tell Tim, he has no idea." Gibbs told him calmly.

"But he'll be pleased. knowing the Admiral wasn't his father after everything he's been through…"

"The Admiral was his father." Gibbs said, "Sit down for a second Tony."

Surprised by the tone in Gibbs' voice Tony complied.

"Do you remember, when you were about eight, you and your mother living somewhere else?" he asked.

Tony looked away, "Yeah...we moved to the guest house, mom had a friend for a while he...he wasn't very..." Tony stopped and looked at Gibbs in shock. "The Captain? He was McGee's father...and my mother?!"

He sat heavily on the chair and leant his head down on the table.

Taking a few breaths he looked up, sadness and horror in his eyes, "The Captain was brutal Gibbs, and Tim grew up with him? I don't even remember my mother being pregnant?" he shook his head as old memories flooded back.

"How does Tim not know?" He asked his voice breaking as he realised that he had for years, been working with and sometimes teasing the little brother he never knew he had.

Gibbs told Tony what he knew and what Angela McGee had told him, by the time he was finished he was angry.

"Why didn't my father tell me, I was devastated when my mother died, I remember now we were on our way to see Tim in the hospital," Tony smiled, "Mother always liked T. names, Tony and Tim." he gave a wry laugh.

"Is Tim going to be able to handle this news?" Tony asked concerned.

"I talked to his doctor last night prior to making this phone call, he thinks that with all Tim is dealing with right now we shouldn't say anything. but wait until he heals a bit more."

Tony nodded, "He is going through so much right now, I wanna help him."

Gibbs smiled, "I will make sure when it comes time to tell Tim that you are there. He'll need the support, but right now I need to know that you will be able to keep what you know to yourself. Can you treat Tim the same way you have been?"

Tony nodded, "Undercover specialist remember?" he smirked.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and hit the button on Leon's desk.

"Come on then, they should be back from lunch now."

"Boss?" Tony said as they headed out of the office and to the top of the stairs.

"Yes?" Gibbs looked as Tim got off the elevator and headed to his desk.

"Will you teach me more sign language, I want to spend more time with Tim, if he doesn't get better he's gonna need family around him."

Gibbs looked over at him, "Sure, come tonight for dinner."

Tony stopped and watched as his brother settled back down to work a smile on his face as he signed something to Abby about Delilah.

She grinned and with a wave at Gibbs she headed off to her lab.

Tim turned and smiled, Tony's hands tightened on the railing.

"Undercover DiNozzo, you said you were a specialist remember?" he called knowing that Tim couldn't hear him.

"On your six Boss!" Tony replied and followed.

Note: Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF; pronounced "skiff")


	11. Chapter 11

Charlie Mason had watched as a group of NCIS personnel had walked into the building in front of her, she was amazed to see that two of them seemed to be hearing impaired. She was surprised as the Goth looking woman said to the man and woman with her, "I'll ride up with you I want to see Gibbs," and both the man who was hearing impaired and the woman nodded.

She assumed the man was in tech support or something until another man walked up to them. "Agent McGee," Balboa said sidestepping the woman behind him and giving Charlie an apologetic glance, "I have some information about the case Tim's working on." Balboa said to Abby who translated.

Tim nodded having understood and the three of them went into the elevator.

She turned to the security guard and flashed her badge. "Agent Mason to see Agent Gibbs, MCRT." she said.

The guard looked ruefully at the elevator, "If you'd been a few minutes earlier you could have ridden up with them, I'll text up and let them know you're here." he said sending McGee a text.

Tim stopped at his desk as his phone vibrated and looked at the message. Turning to Tony he held out his phone knowing that Tony still wasn't proficient enough to be able to understand if he signed to him.

"Downstairs?" Tony signed giving Tim an odd look.

Tim nodded, "He's with Harry in security."

"Charlie is a girl." Tony signed, "I worked with her once."

Tim nodded, "Ok Tony, I'll bring the file up and go through what we have so far." he signed.

Tony gave him a small pat on the shoulder, only just masking the pain in his eyes as he did so, with a small warning look from Gibbs he headed to the elevator as Joe caught up to McGee in the bullpen and Tim filled him in excitedly about his lunch-break, Gibbs eavesdropping with a smile.

* * *

"Agent Mason." Tony said with a smile, "How's my little city fairing?" he asked.

Charlie had taken over on the Seahawk after him before transferring to the Ronald Reagan.

"I left it intact DiNozzo, and in much better shape than it was when I got it paperwork wise." she quipped.

Tony laughed, "You have the information Gibbs needs?" he asked as they entered the elevator.

She smiled at him, knowing about his reputation she hoped that maybe while she was here she could get in some R and R.

"I have everything I could find on Petty Officer Andrew Martin." she said handing him the file.

Tony opened it and started flicking through it as the elevator ground to a halt and the doors opened.

"Maybe when we are done you can join me for dinner?" she asked.

Tony smiled but didn't answer, to be honest his eyes flashed over to his brother as he stepped out of the elevator. His brother, he was still processing that fact but needed to keep his mind on the case.

"This way." he said closing the file and taking it to Gibbs.

"Boss, This is Agent Charlie Mason, Agent Afloat on the Ronald Reagan."

"You have the information on Petty Officer Andrew Martin?" He asked.

She nodded, "I asked around on the Reagan, he'd been getting in with some people in our last port, there is scuttlebutt that he was dealing drugs." she said handing the second file to him.

Gibbs stepped to one side so Tim's light went off, "Need you to put this up," he signed.

Charlie gave him a slight smile. "Nice…" she said absentmindedly.

Tony looked at her but then turned where Tim was typing on the screen.

"PFC Andrew Martin, was according to this seen in the company of some possible…."

"Stop PFC?" Charlie asked. "That's a Army rank isn't it? He's a Petty Officer, Navy, can't he get it right?"

"I knew what he meant." Gibbs growled Tony turning to her as well.

Tim stopped as he realized that they were looking at the woman.

"Is there a problem?" Tim signed.

"No." Tony signed.

Charlie looked at Tony, "Come on DiNozzo, we make a mistake we could lose a lead and a killer gets away. People like him shouldn't be in here, you need to get a real Agent in."

"Charlie…." DiNozzo glared at her, she had up until as second ago been a good friend. "Agent McGee is a real agent, he's been on this team for years and I trust him."

"How can he be a real agent, he can't hear or speak, surely you don't trust him to have your back."

Tim noticed that Gibbs was signing everything that was being said, he looked hurt at her remark.

"I trust Tim with my life." Tony said honestly. "He's a better agent than you will ever be."

Charlie laughed, "Sure, look I don't wanna be obvious here but he's handicapped...I…." she stopped as Tony put his hand on her arm.

"I think you had better leave." he growled, "Tim is a part of our team and we can't solve this case without him, we can however do it without you." He turned her and headed to take her to the elevator when Gibb's voice rang out.

"DiNozzo stop." he said.

Tony stopped turning and looking incredulously at his boss, "You want her to stay?" he asked.

"Tim wants her to stay, take her on a tour...downstairs…" he said hoping Tony would get it.

Tony nodded and took her for a tour of the building while Gibbs turned to Tim.

* * *

"It's just been minutes Tim, are you sure?" he signed.

Tim nodded furiously, ignoring the pinpricks of pain that movement caused.

"I am certain boss, look…" Pulling up some information he showed that Andrew Martin and Charlie Mason actually knew each other well. "I think…." He stopped signing as he started pulling up some video surveillance information, "Yeah look, Agent Mason may actually be our killer...Boss...Tony's with her?"

"Text him Tim, tell him to put her in interrogation, I'm on my way down there." he said and turned to follow where Tony and their killer had gone earlier.

* * *

Charlie was getting nervous, she had been cocky earlier. All she needed to do was deliver the false information she had making Petty Officer Andrew Martin look like he was responsible for selling drugs on her ship, rather than the fact that she had killed him as he had caught her dealing on board. She knew DiNozzo's reputation and she knew he would believe her after all they had history, maybe not in the way she wanted but soon, she'd messed up a little, but a popped button here and a misstep there and he would be putty in her hands. She knew if they found out it was her she would be dead and Martin had made a great scapegoat, he had been charming and having Charlie fall for him had made him pliable and an easy fall guy. Petty Officer Martin had been much the same as DiNozzo was now, smart, funny and easy to manipulate.

"Would you like to get a coffee when we're done?" she asked him.

Tony looked at her, normally he would have bantered and flirted, but she had insulted his brother and he was still reeling from the impact that had had on him.

"I don't think so." he snapped coolly as they walked around towards the interrogation room. Something about her didn't sit right, when they had known each other before she had seemed nice, but now...his gut worked overtime.

He opened the door to interrogation and she looked into the room, "Nice." she said seemingly oblivious as Tim and Gibbs walked down towards them.

"You wanna go in and sit." Tony said.

* * *

Charlie looked at the room as Tony put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the side facing the mirror.

"Is there a problem?" Charlie asked.

"Our Agents have a few questions, you can help with getting them out of the way Charlie." Tony replied. He moved as Tim and Gibbs walked into the room.

"What is this Agent Gibbs?" Charlie asked as they took their seats.

"We have a few questions for you." Gibbs said as he took his seat and placed a folder on the table between them.

"You knew Petty Officer Andrew Martin." he said, and it wasn't a question.

She looked at the three men. "Of course I knew him, we were on the same ship together."

Tim signed something and Gibbs nodded.

"I believe you were a bit more acquainted than that." Gibbs said.

"I don't know what you mean," Charlie said glaring at Tim.

"There is information linking you to Petty Officer Andrew Martin, late night phone calls, credit card receipts for meals and two overnight stays at a motel in the last six months. Also he wasn't on the Seahawk and you were, there have been rumors of deals with the same group of men on there too."

Charlie looked at Gibbs, she was stuck and she knew it. "He forced me to use my connections to turn the other way while he sold drugs." she shifted in her seat.

Tim signed something else.

"What did he say?" Charlie looked worried.

"Agent McGee said that you were the one with the connections to the Mendoza cartel, they were buried deep but he found them, Isn't it true that your real name is Carlotta Mendoza, Paulo Mendoza is your father isn't he?" Gibbs asked.

Charlie looked over at him, all evidence of the Agent he had met earlier was gone. Within a second she had pulled her gun that she had walked in with.

Being an agent she hadn't been required to give up her firearm and now she was glad of it. She wasn't getting out of this but she sure as hell wasn't going alone.

It was in actual fact a blink of an eye but to the men in the room it felt longer, each one of them had left their weapons secure in their desks.

Pulling her gun she aimed it at the one man she deemed responsible for her being found out.

Tim McGee.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Tim didn't hear the indrawn panicked breath Tony let out as he figured out what was going on, He hadn't noticed the gun, he thought that she would not be carrying.

"Tim!" Tony called as he launched himself between his brother and the assailant.

Tim wasn't looking he was assuming that the movement in his peripheral vision was just Tony and Gibbs taking Mason into custody. The buzzing in his head was getting a little louder and more annoying, he made a mental note to head on down to Ducky and see if he had any painkillers.

Suddenly he was thrown to the floor as he collided with the body of Tony slamming into him.

Tony looked angry and Tim was worried, he'd obviously annoyed him somehow, but he didn't know what he had done, the pain in his head was getting more insistent as he hit it as he collided with the wall on his way down.

Gibbs was on Charlie and had her facing the wall in handcuffs as two other agents had rushed in the room from the observation area after the alarm had been tripped from there.

Tim tried to look at Tony to talk to him but small pinpricks of light flashed behind his eyes, maybe it was easier if he just went to sleep for now and talked later.

Just for a few minutes, he thought and closed his eyes.

* * *

"BOSS!" Tony screamed as he realized that Charlie had a gun, she was aiming it at Tim, without thinking he dove in between them and collided with Tim as the gun went off.

Gibbs slammed her up against the wall.

"You're hurting me!" She snarled.

"Tough!" Gibbs retorted giving her an extra shove, "Take her away and someone get me an ambulance!" he said to the agents as he tempered the fear in his gut and turned to the scene behind him.

Tony sat there holding Tim's head in his lap, he couldn't stop the tears that were falling, "I hit his head boss, I think I killed him!" he held Tim gently stroking his fingers across his brother's forehead praying that he would wake up.

Gibbs leaned over, there was blood on the carpet, he checked Tim out, "There's a pulse, but I can't find a gunshot wound." he moved as the paramedics came in.

Tony scooted back and leaned against the wall his eyes fixed on Tim as the paramedics worked on him.

"Tony…." Gibbs put his hand on Tony's shoulder, "You need to move."

"I can't leave him boss, he needs me…" Tony said still fixed on the sight of the Paramedics trying to make space to examine Tim. Gibbs looked up to see both Jimmy and Abby who had heard the commotion from down the corridor in Abby's lab looking horrified at the scene they were witnessing.

"The paramedics need to see where the blood's coming from Tony...you need to move and give them space…" Gibbs nodded to Jimmy who moved to come and help.

"But Boss….what if he dies...what if he never knows…"Tony trailed off as Jimmy gently grabbed his arm.

"He's in shock Agent Gibbs, I'll see he gets something for it…" Jimmy smiled and helped Tony up.

"Thanks Palmer." Gibbs nodded.

Tony walked blindly to the door and then turned, "I didn't kill him did I boss? I didn't kill my own…"

"No...No, Tim's not dead Tony." Gibbs interrupted him, no one else needed to know, not yet.

Gibbs watched as Tony left and he turned his attention to Tim and looking for that stray bullet.

* * *

Jimmy got Tony halfway down the hallway when he sagged to the wall.

"Blood sugar?" Abby asked looking worried at Jimmy.

Jimmy shook his head, "Tony?" he asked looking at the pale shade of grey Tony had turned, "Are you injured?"

"Me?..." Tony looked at himself, "I'm fine, Jimmy. You need to check on Tim...he's not awake, I hurt him…"

"You hurt him?" Abby asked, she looked angry, "Tony!" she punched him in the shoulder and he sagged down the wall, his jacket coming open and Abby's hand flew to her mouth as she saw the large red bloodstain that covered his torso.

"TONY!" she screamed, "Gibbs, he's been shot."

One of the Paramedic's shot out of the room and ran over to him.

"No…" Tony pushed him away, "I'm fine...Tim needs you, he's hurt."

"It's ok sir, we have someone tending to your friend." The paramedic said.

"Not...my friend…" Tony ground out, he wanted to tell them, Tim was more important he was his brother, but darkness claimed him too.

Abby looked at Tony for a long time, 'Not his friend?' she wondered, Tim had said for years that Tony bullied him, maybe it was true, maybe Tony really didn't like Tim.

* * *

Tony woke up, the sound of the beep familiar in his ears.

"Tim?" he asked his eyes still closed as the events of the day came back to him.

There was no answer for a second he panicked, he opened his eyes to find Abby sitting in a chair staring at him.

"He's not here." she said her face neutral.

She had been sitting with him for an hour, Gibbs was with Tim who was undergoing tests to figure out if his fall had caused him anymore damage.

She was trying to figure out in her own head what was going on with Tony, sure he had been teasing McGee. She knew that, and he had tried, or it seemed he had been trying to help Tim settle in, but his own admission that Tim wasn't his friend threw her. This was not what she wanted to hear.

Tony moved, groaning as he felt a pulling on his side.

"Abby?" he asked looking over at her.

"Why Tony…?" she asked, "Why did you say Tim wasn't your friend, he's probably dying right now and you…." she stopped at the look of anguish that crossed his face.

"No." Tony pulled the IV line out and got himself into an upright position.

He stood up, slipping his shoes on the intravenous line fell to the floor and started leaking, ignoring Abby he headed for the door.

She stood up to follow as he went into the hallway, "Where is he Abs...where's Tim?" Tony looked but couldn't see Gibbs, he hoped that Tim wasn't alone.

"Agent DiNozzo, you shouldn't be walking around," A nurse said running up to him.

"I need to see Tim, I need to make sure he's ok." Tony said as he gripped the railing at the side of the hallway.

"Agent McGee is having a scan right now, we think he might have injured himself as he fell," The nurse informed him, "You need to get back to your room to rest."

Tony looked around, "Tim, he needs people who care around him, he needs family."

"He has family, Tony...Gibbs is with him and I will be with him and he'll be better off with us around, people that care about him." she held the door for him as the nurse ushered Tony back to his room.

"Maybe you should think about how you feel about Tim, you act like you care, you tried to include him, but you were lying weren't you, you said that he wasn't your friend." Abby snapped as the nurse left the room looking for a doctor to reinsert the IV line.

Tony looked at her incredulously,"You really think I don't care for Tim...Abs' that's not true, he's so important to me...you don't understand." Tony flopped back onto the bed as the nurse walked back in.

"Here you go, you need some painkillers, you shouldn't be walking around right now." she said injecting a sedative into him, "You rest dear, I'm sure your friend will be fine."

"Not my friend...brother…" Tony sighed.

Abby nodded, "Yes Tony, McGee is like a brother to us all, I'm sorry I didn't realize that was what you meant."

Tony laughed as the meds took full effect. "Nope not what I meant at all...he's my brother…" he lay back and turned to her his finger held to his lips. "Shhhhh, Abbs, it's a secret...totally toppity top, super duper, secret." he giggled as the medication took effect, "Just need to know, me and Gibbs, Mom, Senior and the Captain...he's evil you know, the Captain….he hurts kids, gotta keep McGee safe from him…" he lay back with a huge yawn.

"I'm a bad bad man Abby, I nearly killed my brother...you go to church Abs...do you think God will hate me now, ya know like those two brothers in the Bible...Cain and Adam?" He asked waving his hand in front of his face and giggling.

"Cain and Abel?" Abby asked trying to make sense of what he was saying.

Tony laughed a deep belly laugh, full of scorn and derision. "Yeah I'm the evil brother….gonna get cast out of NCIS and left to rot in the gutter always said that was where I'd end up…" he closed his eyes and sighed. "Keep him safe Abby...tell Tim, I'm sorry." he finally drifted off to sleep as Abby sat in the chair wiped her eyes.

Gibbs stuck his head around the corner, "How is he Abs?" he asked.

She wiped her eyes and looked up at him, "He's out of it, He's hurting, I didn't realize he thought of Tim as a real brother. I mean we are close and all, but he thinks you're gonna fire him for hurting Tim."

Gibbs shook his head and walked over to where Tony was drooling in his sleep, Gibbs gave him a wry smile, "I'd never break up the family Abs, sometimes a bird will leave the nest but I would never throw one out."

* * *

Tim woke up, the room was dark and a doctor stood in the corner writing on a pad, a nurse walked over and smiled at him taking tabs off his chest and wiping him clean.

Tim signed, "What's going on?"

The nurse shook her head and wrote, "I don't sign, you are ok, you are in hospital and you are having some tests, your boss has gone to see your friend Tony, he's going to be ok, the bullet went straight through and he will be making a full recovery."

Bullet? Tim wondered, why did Tony have a bullet in him?

He paled, he remembered Tony lunging at him over the desk. He grabbed the pad off the desk, 'Did I shoot him?' he wrote his hand shaking and the fuzziness in his head returning.

"I don't know." the nurse wrote back.

she turned her back to him and walked to the door, "Damn!" she swore as she dropped the notes on the floor.

Tim winced in pain as the noise shot through his head.

She sighed and shut the door, not noticing Tim smiling with tears streaming down his face.

It hurt, it was louder and more painful than anything he had ever experienced before, it had made lights flash before his eyes but it was the sweetest thing he had ever heard.

He could hear.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Tim hit the table a few times, just to see if he wasn't making a mistake.

Each time he winced as the metal beneath his hands clanged.

He smiled, if his hearing was back then maybe his voice was too.

He opened his mouth and tried to talk, but nothing happened.

He rubbed the back of his head as the residual pain from the noise rattled around his skull.

He heard words, some clear and some distorted from outside, trying to make sense of them the buzzing in his head grew louder by the second until it hit the point where it was too loud.

He covered his ears with his hands and pulled himself into a fetal position trying to block out the noise.

He pulled the pillow over his head as the painkillers the nurse had injected into his IV finally kicked in.

* * *

Tony woke up, it was dark outside and his room was empty. Vaguely he remembered a conversation with Abby about Tim….TIM! Tim had been hurt, and he was laying in a hospital bed being lazy? He sat up, a small burning pain hurting his side where he had been shot. The door opened and Tony blinked as light flooded his room.

"You going somewhere DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

"Gonna find Tim." Tony said looking at the antibiotic IV in his arm.

"You don't need to."Gibbs said.

Tony froze at that, "He's….dead?" he asked his voice breaking.

Gibbs shook his head, "No...No...God, Tony what do you remember?" he asked walking over to his senior field agent and physically removed the hand that was trying to pull out the IV and guided him back into bed.

"I hurt him boss...He's been through so much and I hurt him...I let him down."

"Shhh…." Gibbs replied, making sure Tony was laying back. "You saved his life Tony, you took a bullet for him. You rest, he's being transferred into the same room as you, that way you both can sleep, the nurse is waiting for an orderly so they can bring him here now."

"He doesn't hate me?" Tony asked surprised.

Gibbs shook his head, "Why would he hate you?"

Tony thought and shook his head, "I dunno...something...earlier, was Abby here boss?" he asked still trying to piece together his earlier conversation.

"She was, sent her home. I got permission to stay with you guys as there is no one to translate for Tim." Gibbs placed his coffee on the table next to Tony's bed.

"Boss...can I?" Tony asked gesturing to Gibbs' coffee. Normally he wouldn't dream of even thinking about it, but he was exhausted, the painkillers doing their job and relaxing his body and more than anything he needed to remain awake to see Tim for himself.

Gibbs stifled a grin and handed Tony the cup, "You sure?" he asked.

Tony gave a short nod and took a sip.

"God! Boss!" he choked as the black liquid tar slowly slipped down his throat, threatening to obliterate every functioning taste bud he owned.

Gibbs reached over to the table behind him and handed him a smaller cup. "You might like this better...got all that crap you like in it." he said.

Tony tentatively took a sip. Then he smiled, "That's coffee boss."

"If you say so DiNozzo."

They stopped as the orderly opened the door and they pushed in Tim's bed.

He was under the blanket still curled in the fetal position. Having refused to come out the orderlies had decided to move him anyway, "Mr. McGee you're in your room now, the doctor will be by in about half an hour to see you." The orderly said as he locked the wheels on the bed and moved it into position.

Tim waved his hand as Gibbs turned to the orderly "He can't hear you, but I will tell him when he sits up."

* * *

Tim lay there he heard the grating sound of the door as it opened and closed and the sound of Gibbs walking to the bed.

"Tony...Tim's here...he's ok, look." he said softly.

The quieter tone was easier on Tim's ears, but he didn't move, he was trying to make sense of the words he was hearing and trying to lessen the annoying buzzing noise.

"I nearly lost him boss, he has no idea how special he is to me, I love him boss." Tony's sobs cut through the buzz. "I can't not tell him, how can I...what if…"

"I promised his mother that I would let him see her letter, let him make the decisions, I am not taking that away from him." Gibbs admonished, "I'm not saying I wouldn't have told you, but he needed to know first, he needs to think he knew first. Can you let him have that Tony, Can you be the big brother he needs?" Gibbs asked.

"I have always tried to be," Tony said honestly looking over at Tim's still form. "Do you think he's hurting?" he asked

"I don't know, I think he may be sleeping." Gibbs replied.

He walked over and gently drew back the covers.

Tim blinked back a tear that had formed as Gibbs' face came into view.

'Boss….hurts…' Tim signed as he quickly took his hands away from his ears.

'What hurts Tim?' Gibbs signed.

'Ears...I can hear...too loud…' his signing had become erratic like it was in the beginning as he tried to block out the pain.

Gibbs nodded once and headed off to find a doctor.

* * *

Tim looked over at Tony who was hovering on the verge of getting out of his bed.

Tony carefully grabbed his IV pole and moved over to where Tim was laying, "It's ok Tim, you're gonna be ok, I'm so sorry I hurt you…" He said reaching for his hand.

Tim pulled it away and looked at Tony quizzically, 'You hurt me?' he signed, 'Why...what did I do to you?' he asked.

Tony moved back a bit.

"Nothing...God Tim...I just didn't want you to be hurt. I never want you to be hurt…"

Tim looked over at him confusion on his face, 'Why are you in hospital?'

"Charlie had a gun." Tony said and signed at the same time.

'She shot me!' Tim signed and looked down.

Tony touched him on the shoulder, "No…" he shook his head, "You are gonna be ok, but I tackled you and you hit your head, I am sorry." he signed.

Tim smiled, "Don't be. Tony, I think...I can hear...it's fuzzy, noisy and a bit tinny, but I can hear." he grinned.

Tony pulled his little brother into a hug, "I am so glad." he said hiding his face as he let a few tears of relief fall.

Tony moved back as the door opened and Gibbs entered with the doctor on his tail.

"Agent McGee...I hear you are in a bit of pain," She said as she started to check him out.

"Tim can hear Boss." Tony grinned over at Gibbs.

"That so McGee?" Gibbs asked the touch of irony in his voice apparent as that was after all the reason he had gone to get the doctor, but he was thrilled to see the smile on Tim and Tony's faces.

Tim nodded, "It's not like it used to be, a bit fuzzy and tinny, but it's there, and my head hurts." he signed.

"No voice?" Gibbs asked.

Tim shook his head, 'Not yet boss.' He signed.

Gibbs put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You will be ok Tim. I'm sure of it, Let the doctor examine you and I'll help Tony back into bed before he pulls his damn stitches again." He sighed turning to glare at Tony for moving out of bed.

Tim sat back as the doctor examined him, wondering over the conversation he had overheard earlier.

His mom wanted to send him a letter, and for some reason Gibbs and Tony knew about it. He wasn't sure he if should trust his gut, but he definitely felt that something hinky was going on.

He nodded in all the right places as the doctor asked him questions and poked and prodded him.

"Well Mr. McGee, I think you will be well enough to go home today, I understand you are staying with Agent Gibbs, you will need to come back for an appointment with the Audiologist next week to see just how much of your hearing has returned, and I will write you a prescription for painkillers to help with the pain, but all in all this is a good sign." She smiled as she turned to go, "I'll be back with your discharge papers." she added as she left.

Tony smiled tiredly at Tim, "You're going home." He said.

Tim nodded, 'What about you?' He signed.

Tony looked over at Gibbs, too tired to try to translate the sign language. GIbbs turned to Tim, "Tony's got a few more days here, he needs to get his stitches to heal, then he's coming to stay with us for a week to finish up healing." He said.

"Boss!" Tony protested but Gibbs held his hand up.

"No Tony...I think the best place for you to be in a few days time will be at my house, no argument." Gibbs told him.

Tony understood, and he fervently hoped that by the time he was out of hospital, Tim would actually want to see him.

* * *

Arriving home Gibbs watched as Tim was reunited with his dog, He had told the others of the discovery of Tim's healing hearing in the hospital. Having told the others the Tim needed a few days of quiet for his painkillers to work and his ears to rest he set about preparing to give Tim the letter he had been holding onto that Angela Murray had written to him.

Tim lay back on the couch totally unaware of the turn his life was about to take.

Gibbs sat on the coffee table facing Tim and waited for him to open his eyes.

'I can hear now boss, I know you're there.' Tim signed.

Gibbs gave a small laugh, "I know you can hear me Tim, I was just waiting for you to look up."

'Why? What's wrong?' Tim signed, 'Is it about that thing you and Tony were talking about earlier?'

"You heard that?" Gibbs asked surprise creeping into his voice.

Tim nodded.

"In a way, yeah it is...I have a letter from...from your mother, she has asked if you would read it. She doesn't want to force anything, but there are some things in it she says that you need to know."

Tim lifted his head and eyes the envelope in Gibbs' hand like it was the enemy.

He shook his head.

"Tim, you need to read this, take it...I'll be in the basement when you're done." Gibbs handed him the envelope and turned and walked down to the basement feeling like a heel.

Had Tony not found out, he could have given Tim the time he needed. But now… Tim needed to what Angela had written and he hoped that she had been, as she had promised, gentle about telling him.

He poured himself a jar of bourbon and sanded the rib of the small boat he was building, waiting to see what the aftermath of the letter would be.

Two hours later, Tim stood at the top of stairs, tears rolling down his face and the letter screwed up in his hand.

"Tim..." Gibbs moved towards him, but Tim held his hand up.

'Did you know?' He signed his breath held waiting to see what Gibbs said next.

 


	14. Chapter 14

"Did you know?" he signed again.

Gibbs nodded once and guided Tim to the couch, "Let me explain." Gibbs said.

Tim nodded.

"I found out when your mother...Angela, came to see you, when you first came here." Gibbs told him, "She didn't want to tell you, she's been your mother your whole life and she loves you so much. She knows that she made a mistake. Your father was so adamant that he had seen you, the nurses thought you might have been there too so she had no idea that your being in the hospital was an hallucination."

'Why didn't they tell me?' Tim signed.

"What did her letter say, did Angela not tell you?" Gibbs asked.

Tim shook his head, 'All she wrote was that it was the Admirals decision, that he didn't want me to know.' he signed.

Gibbs moved to sit on the coffee table and took the now crumpled piece of paper from Tim's hand.

He looked at the letter, "Can I?" he asked.

Tim nodded gently, as his head was still aching.

Gibbs quickly read through the letter, Angela had explained her behavior at the hospital and her treatment of Tim. She had explained that she was not his biological mother and that she had adopted him as a child as her husband had insisted she do so as his real mother had died just after giving birth to him and she had been married to another man.

"Boss?" Tim signed, "Did she tell you anything about my birth mother, she doesn't say in here. It explains why they all love Sarah better though."

"Tim…?" Gibbs moved to make sure Tim was looking at him. "Angela did tell me the name of your mother."

Tim cocked his head slightly to the left waiting to hear it.

"Elizabeth Paddington-DiNozzo." He said softly.

"Like Tony?" Tim signed, "An aunt?" he asked.

Gibbs stood up, he didn't want to be the one to tell him. Inwardly he cursed Angela Murray for not telling her…,telling Tim the whole truth.

Gibbs shook his head, he turned his back to the window as a taxi pulled up outside.

* * *

Tony walked up the front path seeing Gibbs with his back to him and watching as Tim signed to his boss.

He was looking forward to watching some of his favorite movies with his brother and learning more about him, things that Tim had never told Tony the friend, he was would be willing to share with Tony the brother.

Maybe if he spent time with him, when Tim finally found out they were related he would take it better and accept Tony in his life.

It was obvious that somehow Tim had found out about his mother, he looked stricken but gave a small smile.

Tony watched as Tim signed, 'An Aunt?'

Not wanting to intrude he watched for a moment his hand gripped on the two bags he held, one full of DVD's and one with his clothes.

'That's good I'd hate to be related to Tony.' Tim signed.

Tony read the hand signals and his heart dropped, "Tim didn't want him...not as a friend and not as a brother."

He dropped the bag of DVD's he had been holding in shock and turned around and slipped off the porch heading away from the house.

* * *

"Tim….Tony is your brother, your half brother to be exact."

Tim looked at Gibbs in shock, " _You're joking_?!" he signed, "My brother….Tony?!"

Gibbs nodded, "His mother is your mother, she died when he was eight...A few weeks after giving birth to you."

"I killed his mother…" Tim looked ashen, "Does he know? Does he blame me?" He signed.

"Yes he knows, and no he doesn't blame you. You didn't kill her, she was on her way to take Tony to see you in the hospital when they were in an accident and she died, it wasn't your fault at all. Tony was so worried when he thought he'd hurt you, he's your brother Tim, he loves you."

Tim shook his head, 'If he loved me he would have told me, no wonder he's spent so long teasing me...He must have found it really funny knowing I was his brother and laughing at me behind my back.'

Gibbs stood up and looked annoyed at the younger man, "You know that's not true." he snapped.

Tim stood up, his hands moving rapidly, "You know, he knows...He never told me. How many  _other_  people know? How long has he known?" he signed.

Gibbs put a hand on Tim's shoulder and made him sit down, "He found out the day before you were injured, he overheard me talking to his father about your mother."

"So he got mad and pushed me?" Tim shook his head, it hurt and his ears were ringing.

"No he took a bullet for you, he protected you." Gibbs said. Seeing Tim wince he went to the kitchen grabbed a glass of water and his painkillers.

Walking back in he saw Tim with his head in his hands.

"Tim?" Gibbs said softly.

"He tried to save my life?" Tim asked referring to Tony's actions of the other day.

Gibbs nodded, "Tony was pleased to find out you were his brother, more than anything he wanted to be there for you and to do what was best for you. Ever since he found out he's been doing everything he could to help you."

"Does he know that you were telling me tonight?" Tim signed.

Gibbs nodded, "I told him I would be letting you see the letter from your mother, I mean Angela…" he looked at the clock, "He was getting out today and was going to meet us here."

He looked out of the window and saw something lying on his porch.

"Hang on…" he said to Tim and he headed to the door.

Tim looked up nervously, Tony was here now? He was worried about seeing him now he knew, he hoped that Tony wouldn't be mad at him about his mother.

He took his painkillers and fiddled with the glass in his hand.

"Damn!" Gibbs' curse cut through Tim's thoughts.

Gibbs took his phone out and punched in a number as Tim looked up at his boss who walked back into his living room and dropped a bag on the armchair as he paced back and forth.

"Dammit answer…" Gibbs growled. He slammed the phone shut and put it in his pocket.

Tim looked up at him worried.

"Tony was here." Gibbs said showing the bag to Tim, "I think he might have overheard something."

"How?" Tim signed.

Gibbs shook his head, "Can you find him, if I get Abby to bring over your laptop...or you can use mine." he offered.

Tim gulped, "I'll text Abby and get her to drop mine over."

He quickly sent a text to Abby asking her to bring his laptop as soon as possible to Gibbs' house.

It didn't take Abby more than thirty minutes to pull up outside Gibb's house in her bright red hearse.

"Hey Gibbs, Hey Timmy, I got your laptop." she signed.

Tim smiled, "You don't need to sign, I can hear you fine," Tim signed back.

Abby squealed and enveloped Tim in a hug, "That's brilliant, have you texted Delilah?"

Tim shook his head, "Not yet," he opened the laptop, "I have something else to deal with that's more important first." he said.

Abby looked worried, "What is more important than telling the woman you love that you can hear?"

Tim shook his head, he couldn't sign and type so he concentrated.

As soon as he was done he banged on the table to get Gibbs' attention.

"I found him Boss." He signed…. "he's in his apartment. Gibbs I need to go find Tony."

"Tony?" Abby shook her head, "I saw him walking into a bar down the street from his apartment as I drove by."

"Maybe that's why he didn't answer his phone?" Tim signed.

Gibbs looked over at the two of them, "Abby, will you stay here with Tim while I go and find Tony, I'll bring him back here…"

"But Gibbs is he in trouble, can I help?"

"There's nothing you can do Abbs, but Tim could use your support here, make sure he takes his meds and I'll bring Tony back."

Abby huffed and crossed her arms, "I don't get it, he said he loved Tim like a brother, he promised to be here for him and instead he goes to a bar?"

Tim looked up at Abby, "Don't Abbs." He signed, "Just let Gibbs find him."

Abby sighed and sank down on the couch, "Ok, maybe we can skype with Delilah while we are waiting."

Tim nodded he looked up at Gibbs, "Bring him back, tell him...tell him…" he dropped his hands to his sides unable to put into words what he was feeling.

Gibbs smiled and nodded, "Don't worry, I'll find him." He said and left.

* * *

Tony sat in the darkened corner of the bar down the street from his apartment.

"You look down Tony?" Mick the bartender said.

Tony smiled sadly at his friend, "You got brothers Mick?" he asked.

Mick shook his head, "Worse...Sisters, four of 'em." he said his irish brogue coming through as he talked.

"Do they hate you?" Tony asked drinking his Scotch and replacing the glass for a refill.

"Na...except when they first brought their boyfriends home. It's my job as an older brother to make sure any man who wants to date a Murphy woman is up to scratch."

Tony took another gulp, "Must just be me then." he groused.

"You? Tony boy, you're a good man, we all know how much you help out the old ladies in your apartment block, running errands and fixing things in your spare time, how could anyone hate you?"

Again Tony placed the empty glass on the bar.

"You sure you want another one?" Mick asked.

"Just refill it I'll let you know when I've had enough." Tony snapped.

Mick sighed, whatever it was that was eating his friend tonight, Tony wasn't going to talk to him that was for sure.

The combination of painkillers he had taken earlier and the alcohol in his system soon had Tony the worse for wear, He leaned against the bar wall staring into the glass.

"You need me to call you a cab?" Mick asked.

Tony shook his head, "I can walk, it's just a few blocks."

"You be careful." Mick said, "My grandmother would skin me alive if anything happened to you."

Tony gave him a wave and walked out of the door.

As soon as the cold air hit him he staggered, the full effect of the drink mixing with the pills made him feel sick and light headed.

He stumbled in the direction of his apartment and walked right into a man.

"Sorry." Tony mumbled.

"Watch where you're going!" The man snapped.

Tony looked up, "Said sorry." he slurred.

"Flipping drunk should be locked up." he pushed Tony away from him.

"Hey!" Tony shouted, "Gettof me!"

The man pushed Tony into the alleyway by the bar, "Sober up and get a job!" he snarled.

Hitting the floor jarred Tony's stitches and he yelped in pain and curled into a ball as the man stormed off.

Parking close to the bar, Gibbs walked the last block to the place Abby had last seen Tony.

Passing the alley next to the bar he heard a groan, he was tempted to ignore it thinking it was possibly a homeless person, but he looked and stopped in shock.

"Tony?" Gibbs called looking at his senior agent sitting on his rear curled up in pain, "Tony!, you hurt?"

Tony moved away from Gibbs' hand, "I'm fine boss, just need more painkillers is all." he slurred.

Gibbs looked at him an eyebrow raised in disbelief at what he was hearing.

"I think you've had enough 'painkillers' DiNozzo, let's get you home and cleaned up, then you can explain why you felt a bar was more preferable to spending time with your brother."

 


	15. Chapter 15

Opening the door to Tony's apartment Gibbs let them in and dropped Tony onto the couch with a groan.

"Sit there I'll make you some coffee." Gibbs growled mad as hell.

He stood by the pot as the coffee came through trying to think about how he could fix this as Tony staggered past to the bathroom to vomit.

Within moment he was behind him with a glass of water.

"Here...you feel better?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged, "No more than I deserve Boss." He slurred.

"What possessed you to walk off my porch and to a bar?" Gibbs asked.

"Needed to leave, I needed...He doesn't want to be my brother, he hates me, I fucked up royally boss." Tony groaned.

"Yeah ya did," Gibbs agreed. "So what ya gonna do about it?"

Tony's shoulders slumped as he reached into his trouser pocket and took out his badge.

Gibbs fought back a smirk as he remembered a younger McGee doing the same thing to him when defending his younger sister a few years ago. "Well you get that from your mother then." He mused aloud.

"What?" Tony had expected him to accept the badge and walk away, not that comment.

"Come on DiNozzo, let's get you sobered up." Gibbs stood him up and handed him a toothbrush, "Clean up, get changed and meet me in the kitchen in ten."

On his way out the bathroom door he threw a towel at DiNozzo and left.

Tony stood looking at himself in the mirror. He was a wreck, but he wasn't gonna disobey an order.

* * *

He quickly showered and changed and ten minutes later he was stood at his kitchen door as Gibbs made him eggs and coffee his badge was sitting on the counter, taunting him.

"Sit...eat." Gibbs ordered putting the coffee, creamer and the eggs down for him.

Tony sat took a gulp of the coffee and poked the eggs with his fork.

"So...I told your brother once, if he handed me his badge he had better be prepared to give it up...are you?"

"For Tim...yeah." Tony growled.

Gibbs turned again to hide his smirk.

"You know you are both too much alike. God knows how I never saw it."

"Gibbs?" Tony ate a mouthful of eggs and then thought better of eating more and forcefully swallowed the mouthful he had.

"Why did you leave my house." He asked.

Tony pushed his eggs around the plate, "I saw what Tim signed, he doesn't want me for a brother."

"He thinks you think the same thing about him." Gibbs informed his senior agent.

"What?!" Tony dropped his fork, "No!"

Gibbs felt himself relax a little.

"Not at all, I am proud to be his brother, I thought he'd blame me, I didn't know the Captain had him...If i knew I would have fought for him, I would have made my dad fight for him."

"You didn't like McGee's father?" Gibbs asked. If he had been unsure about how Tony really felt his next move proved everything.

Tony pushed the plate of eggs away, all his appetite gone in that one question. "It is a wonder Tim turned out as normal as he did. God if I had even known he was related to Captain Belt, I would have never given him such a hard time. It must have been awful."

"Captain Belt?"

Tony smiled, "I was a kid boss, My mother called him John, but I had to call him Captain and I had a stutter as a child, I couldn't say McGee, so I called him Captain Belt."

"Why belt?" he pushed again.

Tony laughed sourly. "It was his favorite thing to punish me with. He hated that I was part italian, part my father. He wanted to marry my mother and put me in boarding school, I think that my mother agreed as I was enrolled before she died and was in a boarding school from nine. All I was told was it was my mother's last wish for me to get a good education and my father was honoring it." His tone was dripping in disbelief.

"So why didn't you come in?" Gibbs asked him.

"Tim said he didn't want me as a brother." Tony said staring at his plate. He picked it up and emptied the eggs into the trash.

"Tim was in shock, it was a lot to take in, I think he's as overwhelmed with this as you are. You are his older brother Tony, the question is are you going to step up and be his older brother or not?" Gibbs leaned against the counter and took a sip of his own coffee knowing that the next move was his senior agents and it was up to him whether or not the two would have the relationship it was obvious they both needed.

"I will talk to him, he needs to know even if he doesn't want me for a brother, I will be there for him."

"There and not a bar?" Gibbs prompted.

"I needed to….I dunno, I suppose I'm more like my father than I would care to admit. Seriously Boss, I had enough of my family being indifferent to the fact I exist...I respect Tim too much to have him think about me in the same way that they do."

Gibbs nodded, "I get it I really do. But Tim needs you now, so it's up to you. Tim isn't your father or his, you've worked with him long enough to know what sort of a man he is, the biggest question is what sort of a man are you?"

* * *

Abby finished up translating for Tim on his skype call with Delilah and closed the laptop.

Gibbs wasn't back yet and Abby had to go.

"Are you sure you are going to be ok?" She asked.

Tim nodded, "I have a lot to think over, but I will be fine." He signed.

Abby hugged him, "I don't know what's going on with Tony, but I'm sure he'll come around."

"I hope so." Tim said.

Tim watched as Abby left and seeing Gibb's car turning the corner at the end of the road he turned back and went inside the house. He didn't want to know if Tony wasn't with him.

Maybe he didn't want to be his brother, he hadn't meant what he had said to Gibbs at all. After all he knew what it was like to be ostracized from his family.

He gave a silent laugh, his family...that was a joke, apart from Sarah none of them were actually family. He was done with them all, he only hoped that Tony wouldn't be like the others that he hadn't ruined everything.

He heard the car door slam and he fought the urge to run, but he wasn't ready to face Gibbs yet, so he walked outside to the back porch.

* * *

Tim paced up and down the back porch, for a moment he felt dizzy and he leant on the railing and looked over Gibb's garden.

He couldn't stop the tears that were falling, it was all too much to take in.

He could cope with the fact that the woman he had thought of was his mother for years was not in fact his mother, he could cope with the rest of the things that Gibbs had thrown at him. But the fact that Elizabeth DiNozzo-Paddington was his mother? The fact that Tony had had to live with his less than stellar father alone without his mother's love because he had been born and was such a weak child that he hadn't been able to come home from the hospital?

Did Tony hate him now?

He sure as heck hated himself.

He had a brother….

This fact floored him, more than anything as a child he had wanted a big brother to come swooping in and save him from his father. To take him away and allow him to be a child rather than the focus of his father's failures and wrath.

But Tony?

Not that Tony wasn't capable of being his big brother. He obviously was, but he was eight when his mother died, so he must have known if they were going to the hospital that he had had a little brother. However he had never bothered to look for him, and he hadn't said anything when Tim had come to work at NCIS.

Mind you it explained all those pranks Tony had pulled on him, he did hate him and he did blame him for their mother's death.

He saw a small chair in the corner of the porch and sat down with his head in his hands.

He heard the door open and close and expected Gibbs to be standing in front of him to ream him out for his outburst earlier.

* * *

Footsteps stopped in front of him and the owner crouched down so they were the same height and he jumped as he felt himself pulled into an embrace.

"I'm sorry Tim." Tony breathed, "I am so sorry you had to find out like that. I swear as soon as I knew I wanted to tell you."

Tim opened his mouth to try and talk, but still nothing, so he signed again pulling back from his brother.

"Why? So you could blame me for your mother dying."

"No! God no Tim, I don't blame you at all, you're my brother I love you!" Tony exclaimed.

Tim stopped and looked at his brother, for the first time he really looked at Tony. He noticed their similarities and he smiled slightly.

"You do?" He signed hopefully.

Tony beamed a huge smile that lit up his face, "I do little brother."

Tim sat back in the chair a wave of tiredness overwhelming him, "Can you tell me about her? Our mother I mean, what was she like?" He asked signing quickly.

Tony nodded, "I was eight when you were born and she died.

Tim looked away sadly, "I guess you blame me, after all if she hadn't been coming to see me she wouldn't have died and you would have had your mother."

Tony shook his head, "I don't blame you, how could I? You were a baby it wasn't your fault, it was just an accident."

Tony moved so that Tim would look at him, "If she hadn't have died we could have grown up together, you'd have been a DiNozzo and I know you would have been an awesome little brother, because you are my awesome little brother and I am proud to be your big brother, unless you don't want me to be." Tony had a momentary pang of doubt.

Tim smiled, "I always wanted a big brother. But why didn't you come get me...I mean...well not you...But why didn't I know about you growing up?" he asked.

Tony moved to sit on the step and looked out over the garden.

"I remember, Mom died and I was in hospital for a week, I broke my leg. Senior was away and I kept asking for you." His gaze took on a wistful look and Tim waited.

"No one would answer my questions about you, Father came and when I asked he said you had gone away. Mom had gone away so for I while I thought you had both gone and left me. Then father explained that Mom had gone to heaven, but never said anything about you...I didn't even think about it." Tony admitted.

He stood up and walked around in a small circle. "I will admit I wondered for a second when we first met and you said your name was McGee. I wondered if you were related to the C..Captain, but you said your father was an admiral."

"You knew my father?" Tim signed amazed.

"I would have known it was you had I met him, but I never got to meet your father, not even when we had that case on the ship he was on." Tony chuckled, "Probably a good thing too, I might have thrown the bastard overboard." he mumbled as an after thought.

Tim looked at his brother with a questioning look.

Tony smirked, "Lets just say that you were not the only one to have issues with the old man, I used to call him Captain Belt."

"Why?" Tim signed but Tony turned so he could pretend he didn't see it. The last thing he wanted to do was tell his brother that the Captain had abused him while he was with his mother.

"We need to tell the others!" Tony exclaimed, "Have a party...when you're better."

Tim chuckled silently, "I might at that." he agreed.

Gibbs stuck his head out of the door, "You two good?" He asked.

Tony nodded and wrapped an arm around his brother.

"We're tight." He grinned.

Tim smiled up at him as they turned to enter the house. He still had to deal with what Angela had done and how he was going to deal with both her and Penny not telling him. But tonight...tonight he was going to watch a movie with his brother and his boss and he couldn't have felt happier if he tried.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Tim woke up his head on Tony's shoulder and a small patch of drool on his brothers shirt.

Tim moved himself over realizing that somewhere during the night Gibbs had just thrown a blanket over the pair of them and left them to it.

"Cold." Tony complained and pulled the blanket over him.

Tim rolled his eyes but smiled as Tony pulled his long legs up into the fetal position taking advantage of the warm spot Tim had just left.

For a moment Tim stood staring at his brother.

He could see it now, they had the same hair and eyes. Obviously there was a lot of differences which could only come from their respective fathers, but there were a lot of similarities. Tim could only hope that Tony would tell him more about his mother, maybe he had pictures of her. More than anything he would like to know what his birth mother looked like.

But right now he had other things to attend to.

After visiting the bathroom and helping himself to a cup of coffee from the pot that was already brewed, he took out a pad and pen and started composing a letter to Angela and Penny.

He wasn't vindictive or cruel by any means, he knew they had hurt him badly. They now knew they had made a mistake. But he had had enough of being the whipping boy for other people's mistakes.

Gibbs walked in as Tim folded up the second of the two letters.

Nodding in Tony's direction he turned to Tim, "Sleeping beauty not up yet then?"

Tim shook his head.

"I'll get breakfast started, you have an appointment at the hospital in a few hours for Audiology. How's your head feeling?"

'Not in as much pain, but it still hurts a bit' Tim signed.

"Here…" Gibbs handed him a glass of water and his painkillers and Tim gratefully took them.

Gibbs turned back and started cooking the bacon, knowing that Tony would wake up to the smells of breakfast easier than if Gibbs just woke him.

Gibbs was worried about how Tony's side was. He had tried to rouse the two men last night after the movie had ended but as he had tried to shake Tony, his arm had wrapped around his little brother and he'd moaned in defiance of letting go of his brother now he had found him. Tim had opened his mouth and reached out with his hand to clasp his big brothers shirt. Gibbs was sure had Tim been able to speak he would have been saying the same thing.

Gibbs had found it endearing and had just left them there to sleep.

* * *

Tim sat back and watched Gibbs busying in his kitchen and looked over at his brother stirring on the couch. He wondered if this was what his life should have been like growing up, a father making breakfast and his sons relaxing into the morning and he wondered if, had he been raised with Tony, Senior had been a father like that?

Tony stumbled into the kitchen rubbing his eyes, "Morning."

Tim smiled, but figured his brother was too tired to read his signing.

"Sit." Gibbs commanded and placed a coffee in front of Tony as well as a glass of water and his meds.

At that point Tim realized that Tony had been injured and he had fallen asleep on top of Tony's wound.

"Are you ok?" Tim signed worriedly.

Tony looked up at his brother and down at his wound. It had bled during the night, but Tony had ignored the pain so as not to move Tim. To be honest he had enjoyed the closeness.

"I'm fine Tim." Tony said trying to hide the wince as he took his painkillers.

Tim didn't notice but Gibbs did, noting to make sure before they left that his dressings were changed.

"So, what time is the Audiology appointment?" Tony asked taking the focus off of him.

"Lunchtime." Gibbs replied, "We have a few hours this morning if you boys want to go back to your apartments and get anything you think you'll need for the next few weeks.

Tony shrugged his shoulders, "I packed before I came. I think I got everything I need, how about you Timmy...you need notebooks or some tech gizmo's?"

Tim scrunched up his face at the use of the name Timmy...he wanted to hate it as he had the countless times Tony had called him that at work, but now, coming from his big brother he liked it.

Tim sighed, "I think I need a few notebooks, but i think I'm good for Gizmo's...thanks." He signed. "Don't need a Gremlin moment after all."

Tony looked over in confusion at Gibbs who laughed.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Movie reference DiNozzo, Gizmo...Gremlins."

Tony smiled, "Oh! Nice one little brother."

Tim smiled the first bright smile Gibbs had seen on him in a while.

"Ok so Tim, you make a list of what you need to bring and after the audiology appointment I think as you guys will be staying a while, we should sort out your room." Gibbs told them, he had the beginnings of an idea and he wanted to follow it through.

Tony turned to Gibbs, "We are staying awhile?" He asked surprised.

Gibbs smiled, "Yep, Tim needs to heal and you have that wound of yours the team is on stand down until you are both healed."

"But Boss?" Tim signed, "What about active cases?"

"Been transferred to Balboa's team. You guys are more important than a case Tim."

Tony placed a hand on his brother's arm to help reiterate the point.

Gibbs stood up, "Tim, you have your first appointment soon. Tony can I have a word?"

Wondering what Gibbs was up to Tony stood up and followed him up the stairs.

* * *

"This is for you both." He opened the door to a room with two twin beds inside.

"I'm gonna take Tim to his appointment and swing by his apartment for his stuff. Just thought you'd like a small project, I have some old tins of paint in the basement, not much, but maybe you boys could make this room your own."

"You want us to paint a room? I thought it was just to be for a few weeks?" Tony asked floored at Gibbs' generosity.

"I figured it was neutral ground. I think that both Tim and you need it, not only for your relationship to grow, but for Tim to find a new balance with his family if he decides to. You guys can stay until you are ready to leave."

"But...Are you sure Boss?"

Gibbs turned and cocked an eyebrow at him, "You ever known me to say something I don't mean DiNozzo?"

Tony jumped slightly, "No Boss!"

Gibbs smirked and headed for the stairs, " ' Thought not."

* * *

Two hours later, after Gibbs and Tim had left Tony was standing in his apartment holding a box he hadn't touched in years.

After Gibbs and Tim had left Tony had had a brainwave and given Abby a call for assistance as he still was not cleared to drive.

Abby walked into his room with an armful of DVD's and put them in a box.

"What's that?" She asked looking at the tattered box in his hand.

"Just some stuff." Tony replied, "Is that the last of it?" He asked looking at the box and the bags beside her.

"Everything on your list. Everything except your fish."

Tony smiled, "I'm putting timed food in there for them, they'll be fine until I get back….or whatever."

"Or whatever?" Abby looked worried.

"They'll be fine." Tony reiterated.

"Ok!" Abby said brightly and went to take the bags to the car.

While she was gone Tony packed the box in the last bag, he hoped that Tim would appreciate this, but he wasn't sure.

They stopped on the way back for some paint and a few other things.

"Are you sure that Gibbs wants you to paint the room?" Abby asked.

Tony nodded, "Trouble is the left over paint in the basement was left over from the NCIS paint job, there is no way either myself or Tim are sleeping in a room that orange."

Abby laughed, "But….I don't know, a few bat's some wall art you could have it looking great?"

Even Tony could not hold back a laugh, "I want Tim to heal, not have nightmares."

They drove on in a companionable silence for a few minutes until they pulled into Gibbs' street.

"Tony. You don't still feel guilty for what happened to Tim do you? I mean I know it's not your fault, I know you didn't mean to…."

"Stop Abby!" Tony held up a hand. "I don't feel guilty, it was a misunderstanding that's all. We are just at Gibbs' to heal from both our injuries."

"But Tim seemed like…"

"I can't answer for Tim," Tony cut across her, "If he's got anything to tell you I'm sure he will when he is ready."

He felt awful talking to her like that but this was Tim's family and Abby knew them. If he wanted her to know that the woman Abby knew as Tim's mother, wasn't it would be up to Tim to tell her.

Abby sighed knowing that whatever was going on wasn't going to come from Tony, but maybe when she could see Tim he might tell her.

Tony and Tim were her two favorite people, next to Gibbs, and if something was bothering them then she would try her best to find out what it was and if she could help.

 


	17. Chapter 17

Tony looked up with a grin as Tim walked into the kitchen.

"Coffee?" Tony asked pushing a mug towards him.

'Thanks.' Tim signed as he took the mug from his brother.

"You ready for today?" Tony asked.

Tim shrugged, 'I'm not sure, I mean what if it's not good news?' He signed.

"Then we face it, together, as a family." Tony said, "It won't make any difference to us. You and I are family and that's all there is to it."

Tim smiled; It had been good, the last month getting to know Tony as his brother rather than his co-worker.

It had been good, Tim had helped Tony with his sign language and to his surprise found out that Tony was a quick study and he picked it up faster than he had thought possible.

They had talked late into the night, Tony telling Tim about their mother and his memories of her; Tim telling him about his childhood. The good things and some of the embarrassing things that had made Tony laugh so loud that Gibbs had come up from the basement to tell them to keep the noise down, which had made Tony laugh harder.

Gibbs for his part had enjoyed having them stay. He was still helping Tim with his appointments and Tim had seen his speech therapist who was helping him prepare his voice if all went well at his next appointment Tim would hopefully start talking again. Tony had recovered from his injury, the stitches were due out in a few days, but even though he could have gone back to work on desk duty, he had used some of his accrued leave time to keep his brother company.

The hardest part of the month had been the trip into the office a few days ago to brief Vance on the situation.

* * *

They had arrived early, Tim hoping to be in and out before the main shift showed up.

It wasn't that he didn't want to see anyone, but he was worried about what rumors had gone around in his absence.

Tony too was worried about the same thing only he hadn't let on to his brother about his apprehension. Also, despite his promise he hadn't called Abby. He had been avoiding her so he wasn't sure of what reception she was going to give him.

"What do you wanna do first?" Gibbs asked as they entered the building, "Vance or Abby?"

Tony stopped dead and looked surprised at Gibbs.

"What?" Gibbs said with a slight smirk, "We talk… Besides, she's missed you two."

"I doubt that." Tony replied.

"Ok, Vance." Gibbs smiled and hit the button on the elevator to take them to the bullpen. He didn't say a word as the brothers stepped out of the elevator onto the floor, turned the small corner and stopped dead.

"Still think Abby hasn't missed you both?" Gibbs asked as he put one hand under both boy's mouths and closed them.

Both Tim and Tony's desks were festooned with Candles, (Unlit as Vance had forbidden Abby to light them in case the fire alarm system kicked in.) Balloons, ribbons, small notes from Abby on how much she missed them, a spray of Black roses on both desks, life sized cut out Tim and Tony's sat at each desk.

"How long?" Tony asked.

"She's been doing this since the day you were shot, she didn't want either of you to feel alone and since she couldn't come and see you she turned your desks into shrines."

'We aren't dead boss…. Are we?' Tim signed.

Gibbs shook his head, "You sure you don't want to see Abby first?" He asked again, looking behind the boys to see Abby, fresh flowers in hand making her way to the bullpen.

"I think, maybe we should." Tony started and then stopped as he heard a screech.

" _ **TONY! TIMMY!, YOU'RE HERE!"**_ Abby screamed.

"Hey Abby." Tony oomphed as Abby launched herself into his arms and stepped back worriedly.

"Are you alright? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"I'm fine Abs." Tony smiled.

"Timmy!" Abby walked over to him and hugged him, "I missed you so much, are you back?" she asked.

Tim shook his head, 'We are both still on sick leave.' he signed, 'We have a meeting with Director Vance.'

Abby looked worried for a moment, "I'll send good thoughts." she said as the boys stood up.

She grabbed Tony's wrist as they went to leave, "It isn't anything bad is it?"

Tony shot a huge smile at her, "It's fantastic, I just hope the director sees it as fantastic." He said.

Abby looked at Tim, then at Tony and squealed.

"Oh my God…. You're GAY!" she screamed.

"WHAT! NO!" Tony said as Tim silently chuckled with laughter.

"But…."

"But nothing Abs; wait until they are done and then they'll tell you." Gibbs said as Tony and Tim at Gibbs' nod headed up the stairs.

She shook her head as they both walked up the stairs together Tony's hand low on Tim's back as they headed up the stairs.

"They're a couple…. I know it!" Abby said to herself, her grin getting bigger and bigger, "I've got to tell Jimmy!"

* * *

They walked into Vance's office and sat down as Vance offered them seats.

"So, I hear you are taking your leave Agent DiNozzo while Agent McGee recuperates." Vance said.

"Yes sir, no matter what the outcome next week, I need to be there for Tim."

Vance raised an eyebrow, but said nothing, waiting for his agent to speak.

"I don't know how else to tell you," Tony started, "I… We, found out recently that Tim is my brother."

"Senior?" Vance asked.

Tony shook his head, "No, sir, Tim is a McGee his father was Admiral John McGee, but his mother and my mother was Elizabeth Paddington- DiNozzo."

"So you share the same mother. At least I won't have to make up new credentials for you." Vance said as he looked over at Tim, "About working on the same team…" Tim looked over at Tony worried.

"We have worked together fine so far." Tony argued.

"That was before you knew Tim was your brother." Vance replied.

Tim looked worried at Tony and Gibbs and started signing.

"Director Vance." Gibbs translated for him, "It was a shock to find out that someone I trusted and had worked with for years had turned out to be related to me, I mean the odds of it happening are astronomical, but happen it did. In the last month Tony and I have gotten to know each other as both brothers and friends. We have been talking about how this would work in the field. I am not his partner, I am Bishop's partner. Tony is as he has always been, Gibbs' partner and my Senior Field Agent. At work I will still follow his instructions the same as I did before." Tim signed and waited as Gibbs finished translating.

Vance sat for a moment, looking at the two brothers. "Very well, I will give you six months from when you are both cleared to go back in the field. If there is any problem I will not hesitate to split you onto separate teams."

"Understood." Tim signed and Tony said at the same time.

"Oh, and guys…. You may want to let your team know, scuttlebutt going around right now is that Tim and Tony are in a relationship." Vance smiled as he looked down at his cell phone which had just lit up with the latest gossip. He had to give her credit, Pamela, his secretary always shared the good stuff with him.

"We're what?!" Tony looked shocked as Tim grinned.

'I have an idea.' He signed and kept signing as Gibbs and Tony laughed.

"What?" Vance asked as they got up.

"Oh, Leon… The boys know where the rumor started, you're gonna want to see this." Gibbs told his friend.

Leaving Vance's office, Tony walked over to Pamela and kissed her cheek, "Thank you for the heads up." He said.

She smiled, "Anything Agent DiNozzo." she replied.

"Shall we dear?" Tony asked, holding his hand out as Tim beamed and took it.

Pamela looked shocked, especially as Leon and Gibbs walking behind them looked like they were going to burst out with laughter.

* * *

Leon and Gibbs waited on the balcony which afforded them the best view of the bullpen.

"This will be well worth watching, Abby's got a kind heart, but a big mouth." Gibbs said as he leaned against the railing.

Vance leaned beside him ready to watch the show.

"I think the boys need this, the team needs this… Since the bombing we've been so wound tight, trust DiNozzo to be at the heart of a prank like this."

"Remember it, whatever this is, is Tim's idea." Vance reminded him.

Tony stood at the top of the stairs and texted Abby, Palmer and Ducky to go to the bullpen.

Bishop was working on a cold case and was typing away at her keyboard munching on a packet of Cheetos as she thought away.

Abby, Ducky and Palmer walked into the bullpen.

"What's up guys?" Bishop asked as she looked up and saw them.

"Got a text from Tony to meet him here. He and Tim have an announcement to make." Abby said, bouncing up and down on her platforms with a wide grin on her face.

"Hey guys!" Tony said as he and Tim walked into the bullpen, "We have an announcement to make." Tony pulled Tim close and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"I KNEW IT!" Abby squealed, "You two are in love!"

Tony laughed, "Rule 8 Abby, Never assume."

Tim signed, "But Abby's right, I do love you."

Tony smiled, "I love you too Tim." He said, causing a few heads to pop up over the dividers. "Ok Abby, you are right… In so much as I do love Tim and he loves me, but not that we are in love or gay. Tim is my brother." Tony smirked as Abby's eyes grew wider, "Next time Abs, check with me before you start telling everyone I'm dating someone." Tony smirked.

"I… I'm… Tim? Tim is your brother?" Abby asked. "So, Tim you're a DiNozzo?"

Tony sighed, "Poor old Dad, he's got such a reputation, but no Abby, Tim and I share the same mom."

"How?" She asked.

Tim moved to let Tony pass, "Abbs, this isn't a conversation for her, but if you, Jimmy and Ducky want to come for dinner tonight at Gibbs' we'll tell you what you want to know and answer what we can." Tony said softly.

"Is that going to be ok with Jethro?" Ducky asked.

"Steaks at my place will be fine. The boys make a mean salad and dessert between them." Gibbs said as he finally joined them in the bullpen as Vance, still chuckling headed back to his office.

"So tonight, then Jethro." Ducky clarified as Gibbs nodded.

Dinner had gone smoothly and the team had taken the news and the explanation in their stride.

* * *

Tony looked up as Gibbs walked into the kitchen where both Tony and Tim were finishing off clearing away their breakfast things.

"It's time for Tim to have his doctor's appointment, hopefully there will be some more good news later." Gibbs said.

"Grab ya gear." He ordered and they both moved to obey Tim feeling better knowing that no matter what was about to happen, not only did he have his brother but he had his team watching his back.


End file.
